MANILA – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said 10 more medicines for cancer, high cholesterol, hypertension, and mental illness are now exempted from value-added tax (VAT).
In a statement on Monday, the BIR said Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. issued Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 62-2025 on June 20 further expanding the list of VAT-exempt medicines.
The BIR said these changes aim to enhance access to critical medications by reducing treatment costs for patients and their families.
Some medicines on the list are Tegafur + Gimeracil + Oteracil Potassium for cancer, Metformin Hydrochloride + Teneligliptin for diabetes, Atorvastatin (as calcium) + Fenobribrate for high cholesterol, Metoprolol tartrate + Ivabradine (as hydrochloride) for hypertension, and Lamotrigine for mental illness.
The VAT exemption, pursuant to Republic Act No. 10963, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, and Republic Act No. 11534, or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, is intended to be responsive and adaptive to current public health needs, guided by the latest evaluations from the Food and Drug Administration.
"The BIR has issued an additional VAT-exemption of 10 medicines for cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, and mental illness," Lumagui said.
"Access to affordable medicines is part of BIR's Excellent Taxpayer Service.” (PNA)