Philippines

Fulvio Dawilan and Irwin Nidea are two key practitioners at Du-Baladad & Associates. The firm is part of the WTS Global network. It provides a large range of tax services including disputes and tax claims, litigation, advisory and planning. It is active in banking and other financial intermediaries, power, oil and energy, construction and real estate.

The team recently represented a client in a tax litigation involving an assessment against the taxpayer for a substantial alleged deficiency in taxes. It assisted the client in the successful suspension of tax collection amounting to PHP1.26 billion. The work included the examination of relevant supporting documents and the discovery of crucial information to be used as the basis of the defenses and arguments.

Client feedback

“BDB Law is very knowledgeable in taxation. They provide a comprehensive and thorough service so that we find it easy to work with them. Whenever we find challenges, they quickly provide us with alternative options and detours to keep us on track with our goals.”

Partner Vincent Saavedra heads the tax practice at Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra. The firm serves as tax counsel for domestic corporations from various industries, including construction, food and beverage, transportation and public utilities. It specialises in tax audit investigations and assists clients in the submission of reconciliation schedules and providing legal defenses to further lower tax liabilities.

Details of the firm’s work and clients remain confidential.

Gulapa Law’s tax practice provides tax advisory services regarding the present tax laws and regulations to clients. It also assists clients with tax cases with tax authorities and mediates in resolving tax assessments and other pertinent issues. Key clients include the Asian Development Bank, Cebu Sealife Park and the Goldrich Corporation. Al-Shwaid Ismael and Aris Gulapa are the key partners in the team.

One case study saw the team recently serve as lead counsel to a client in a multi-jurisdictional corporate restructuring project. The work included reorganising its structure and operations across multiple jurisdictions such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and the Netherlands to achieve tax efficiency.

Navarro Amper & Co is a duly registered professional partnership of Deloitte in the Philippines. The tax and corporate services practice is comprised of more than 170 specialists and provides a broad range of fully integrated tax services, including business tax, financial accounting and reporting, indirect tax, transfer pricing, tax compliance, global employer services, M&A and more.

Details of the firm’s work and clients remain confidential.

Ronald Bernas and Kristine Anne Mercado-Tamayo are the key tax practitioners at Quisumbing Torres, the Philippines member of the Baker McKenzie network. Its tax practice includes tax disputes, tax planning, customs and wealth management. It assists clients in a wide range of sectors including financial institutions, healthcare, TMT, consumer goods and retail. In addition, partners support clients to revisit their business structures and operations in relation to the rise of the digital economy. Key clients include the Universal Entertainment Corporation and SBA Communications.

Details of the firm’s work and clients remain confidential.

RG Manabat & Co is a Philippine partnership and a member firm of the KPMG global organisation of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International. The team offers services including corporate compliance, tax advisory, transfer pricing and customs, trade and excise advisory. Carmela Peralta heads the tax and transfer pricing practices. Other key practitioners include Ryan Cabello and Andrew James Gerard Ruiz.

Details of the firm’s work and clients remain confidential.

SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan is a full-service law firm. The team offers tax services, from advising on, and structuring, the tax aspects of corporate transactions to administrative and judicial litigation in relation to tax refunds and defending clients against assessments for national, local taxes and customs duties.

One of its work highlights saw the team acting as counsel for a client in an ongoing tax litigation matter. It represented the client before the Court of Tax Appeals to recover a total of over PHP1 billion in excise taxes that were wrongfully collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue through administrative issuances that violated the statutory provisions they were intended to implement.

Client feedback

“They know the law well and the processes that need to be followed to successfully close our application.”

“Prompt assistance and responses to queries.”

Villaraza & Angangco specialises in corporate and commercial law and focuses on tax law practice. It provides tax services including strategic tax planning for major cross-border transactions and identifying tax-efficient measures and structure. It also represents clients in tax investigations and litigation before judicial, quasi-judicial and administrative bodies. Senior partners Sylvette Tankiang and Franchette Acosta are the key practitioners in the team.

One case study showed that the team recently assisted Lotte Chilsung Beverage in its corporate restructuring that involved PHP3.5 billion. The work included preparing transaction documents and assisting computation of tax liabilities for the acquisition of shares in the subsidiaries of the clients located in the Philippines.