Global VAT & Indirect Tax News

The Philippine Bureau of Internal Revenue’s RMC 108-2025, issued on 8 January 2026, expands the list of VAT‑exempt drugs under the TRAIN and CREATE Acts. The new list now covers 675 cancer drugs, 542 hypertension drugs, 323 diabetes drugs, 300 mental‑illness drugs, 173 high‑cholesterol drugs, 154 kidney‑disease drugs and 75 tuberculosis drugs, significantly broadening patient access to essential medicines.

The EU has granted importers of ammonia and urea a temporary exemption from import duties and CO2 tax, effective 1 January 2026, to keep fertilizers affordable for farmers amid the Mercosur trade negotiations.

Kentucky Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton has filed House Bill 175 to establish a yearly sales tax holiday for school‑related purchases. The holiday would run from 12:01 a.m. on the first Friday of August until midnight Sunday, exempting most clothing items up to $200 and other specific items under $3,000. If enacted, the state sales tax would be eliminated on those items during the holiday period.

The CJEU’s Flo Veneer judgment (C‑639/24) clarifies that Article 45a of the EU VAT Implementing Regulation does not require a closed list of documents to prove intra‑Community transport. Tax authorities must consider all available evidence and cannot deny the exemption solely on missing standard documents. The ruling reinforces fiscal neutrality and will shape member‑state audit practices.