MAARING malusaw ang tax perks ng IT and Business Process Management firms kung ipagpipilitan ng mga ito ang work-from-home schemes para sa kanilang mga empleyado, babala ng Department of Finance.

Sinabi ni Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III na ang IT-BPM firms sa ecozones at freeports ay maaaring i-adopt ang WFH arrangements subalit sa ilalim ng batas ay kailangang isuko ng mga ito ang kanilang tax incentives.

“Companies registered with an IPA such as the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) enjoy incentives such as an income tax holiday or a 5 percent special corporate income tax in lieu of all taxes, such as the VAT, income tax, and local business tax,” ayon kay Dominguez.

Subalit para ma-enjoy ang mga nasabing insentibo, kailangan na sumunod ang mga ito sa Seksyon 309 ng Tax Code, na nagsasabing ang mga nasabing kompanya “shall be exclusively conducted or operated within the geographical boundaries of the zone or freeport.”

“No one is prohibiting them or impinging on their management prerogative to continue implementing their WFH setups. However, they must give up the tax incentives they currently enjoy because the law is clear on this,” ayon sa Kalihim.

Sa kabilang dako, binigyan naman ng Financial Incentives Review Board, attached agency ng DOF, ang lahat ng IT-BPM firms ng hanggang katapusan ng buwan upang pabalikin sa tanggapan ang kanilang mga empleyado. (CHRISTIAN DALE)