Well, it’s official. The Philippines has blessed us with Republic Act No. 12023—charmingly titled the “VAT on Digital Services Law.” This gem slaps a 12% Value-Added Tax on digital services provided by both local and foreign digital service providers (DSPs) to consumers in the country. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed it into law on October 2, 2024. Because obviously, the priority right now is milking more taxes from people.
As of today—May 25—I’ve received exactly one notice from my digital subscriptions. Just one. Netflix, ever the early bird, proudly informed me that my monthly fee is going from ₱399 to ₱449 next month. A round of applause!
I’m now just waiting for the rest of my DSPs to join in with their own heartwarming “We’re raising prices because… government” emails.
Truly, what a time to be alive. And taxed. Damn this corrupt government!