THE BUREAU of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 27-2026 on April 8, 2026, publishing the FDA-endorsed full list of VAT-exempt drugs under Republic Act No. 10963, or the TRAIN Law, and Republic Act No. 11534, or the CREATE Act.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Department of Health endorsed the updated list of 2,263 VAT-exempt drugs for the treatment of the following illnesses: 702 for cancer, 535 for hypertension, 327 for diabetes, 300 for mental illness, 171 for high cholesterol, 152 for kidney disease, and 76 for tuberculosis.
In line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to make healthcare more
accessible and affordable for Filipinos, the Department of Finance, under Secretary Frederick D. Go, supports the timely implementation of measures that help reduce the cost of essential medicines.
BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin R. Mendoza said, “This issuance forms part of government’s continuing efforts to help ease the cost of essential medicines, especially for Filipinos managing chronic and critical illnesses.”
RMC No. 27-2026 further provides that the updated list supersedes previous revenue memorandum circulars issued on the matter and shall remain in effect until new updates are endorsed by the FDA.
Meanwhile, the BIR Revenue Region No. 11 – Western Visayas Region reminds taxpayers to pay their exact 2025 Annual Income Tax on the day of filing of their return. Deadline is on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
Yesterday, April 13, BIR posted a guide in the accomplishment of checks for tax payment.
“Checks should always be made payable to the “Bureau of Internal Revenue.” The abbreviation of the payee’s name or use of its acronym on the face of the check is strictly prohibited,” read part of the BIR’s Facebook post.
It added that on the space for “PAY TO THE ORDER OF,” the following data shall be indicated:
* bank where the check for the payment of the taxes due is to be presented, and
* FAO (For the Account of) Bureau of Internal Revenue as payee.
Earlier, BIR also posted a guide for the submission of attachments to Annual Income Tax Returns (AITR) via electronic audited financial statements system.
The attachments to the electronically-filed AITR shall be submitted through the BIR’s Electronic Audited Financial Statements (eAFS) System.
The system can be accessed via the BIR website (www.bir.gov.ph). Click the eAFS icon inside the eServices section on the homepage. Then register and follow the steps on how to upload attachments. The email confirmation received from the eAFS shall serve as proof of successful submission of the attachments to AITR.
There is no need to go to the BIR Revenue District Office to submit hard copies of the attachments. These copies shall be retained or stored by the taxpayer following the provisions of Revenue Regulations Nos. 17-2013 and 5-2014. /PN
