THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) yesterday said it is exempting 20 more medicines for cancer, hypertension, and mental illness from value-added tax (VAT).
The medicines Pemetrexed, Entrectinib, Asciminib, Palbociclib, and Sonidegib for cancer patients are now VAT-exempt, the BIR said.
For the hypertensive, VAT will no longer be imposed on Losartan Potassium+Amlodipine and Irbesartan+Amlodipine.
Meanwhile, for those struggling with mental illnesses, Cariprazine is now exempted from VAT.
The BIR in January this year also exempted 21 medicines for cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, kidney disease, mental illnesses, and tuberculosis from VAT.
BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui said this move is part of the agency’s shift from a collection goal-oriented culture to a more service-oriented one.
“The VAT exemption of these medicines for cancer, hypertension, and mental illness is a step towards a healthier country,” he said. (ABS-CBN News)
