Travel Tax Exemption Under The Balikbayan Program?

[Art2ro]

http://www.philippin...alikbayan.htm#2Travel Tax Exemption I heard about the travel tax exemption. Could you please elaborate on this and how could this exemption be availed of? The following individuals are required by the Philippine Government to pay the Travel Tax (PhP2,700 for first class passage; PhP1,620 for economy class passage) every time they depart the country for an overseas destination:

(a) Filipino citizens

(b) Permanent resident aliens

© Permanent resident aliens

The following Filipino citizens are exempted from the payment of Travel Tax pursuant to Sec. 2 of PD 1183, as amended:

(a) Filipino overseas contract workers.

(b) Filipino permanent residents abroad whose stay or visit in the Philippines is less than one year.

© Infants (2 years and below).

Also exempted are foreign diplomatic representatives in the Philippines, United Nations employees, US military personnel, international carrier crew, Philippine foreign service personnel (i.e., officials and employees of the Philippine Government who are assigned in Philippine foreign service posts and who are returning to their country of assignment), Philippine government employees (who are on official travel), bona fide students on scholarships and personnel of multinational companies. Non-immigrant aliens, who have not stayed in the Philippines for more than a year, is exempted from the Travel Tax.Here's another site that's more in depth.http://www.tieza.com...ts-required.php Edited January 15, 2012 by Art2ro

[Bundy]

For balikbayans, the way i'm reading this is if you stay in the Philippines for less than one year, you are exempted, if you choose to extend your stay out up to 24 months you will pay the travel tax when you leave. Also, if for example you have been in the country for 11 months and then you fly to Hong Kong or wherever and re-enter the Philippines 2 days later and gain a new balikbayan stamp in your passport, the next time you leave you will pay the travel tax because it is less than a year between your departure and arrival date.Is this the way you are reading it?

[Art2ro]

Also, if for example you have been in the country for 11 months and then you fly to Hong Kong or wherever and re-enter the Philippines 2 days later and gain a new balikbayan stamp in your passport, the next time you leave you have to pay the travel tax because it is less than a year between your departure and arrival date!

for example you have been in the country for 11 months and then you fly to Hong Kong or wherever and re-enter the Philippines 2 days later and gain a new balikbayan stamp in your passport, the next time you leave you will not have to pay the travel tax because it is less than a year between your departure and arrival date, as I read it too! And I guess permanent resident aliens means those with 13a visas, which the BB Program doesn't apply! I just put this info in here just in case it applys to some and should know what is available to them in order to save a few pesos or dollars! Also, get familiar with the on-ward (throw away) ticket rule of thumb, because when one purchases such a ticket, the travel tax isn't included if purchased on-line, but included via a travel agency(not all though depending on their policies)! So why pay for the travel tax when it's only a cheap throw away ticket? Edited January 15, 2012 by Art2ro

[Steve & Myrlita]

They don't charge US citizens travel tax. It's only for those with Filipino passports.

[Art2ro]

They don't charge US citizens travel tax. It's only for those with Filipino passports.

You sure about that? You're partially correct, it's not paid coming into the Philippines from other another country, but if one arrives and stays over a year in the Philippines, it must be paid upon departure and one must have an Exit Clearance Certificate (ECC)! It doesn't just mention for Filipinos only! Read it some more and give me another opinion! We're U.S. Citizens and we and a British couple friends of ours just paid for our tickets last week to Hong Hong from Manila for a 3 day week end visa run and the travel tax and Philippine tax was included and the travel agent even has all the info from our passports! Guess what? Just a word to the wise! If any one of the 4, (Philippine tax, terminal fee, ECC and or the travel tax) isn't paid when it's determined by the airlines and or customs that it has to be available or paid, you're not going get your boarding pass and you just may miss your flight out of the Philippines! It does happen once in a while if not prepared! That's exactly what happen to me long ago when I was in Bangkok, Thailand, I didn't have an Exit Clearance Certificate! It was truly an inconvenience, had to re-book my flight, stay another day at a hotel and go to the nearest Immigration office to get my ECC before departing Thailand! Also, if we had the travel agent to get our follow-on (throw away) tickets, they said that the travel tax had to be paid upon purchase! So what I did, I purchased the throw away tickets on-line via Cebu Pacific Air, paid it at an LBC branch office near by in cash and I didn't have to pay the travel tax! Why pay the travel tax for throw away tickets that's not going to be used and just thrown away? That's why I brought up this topic to find out and or to inform others to the best of my knowledge and or to share my personal experiences and backed up with the facts and or references I dug up on the websites! Edited January 15, 2012 by Art2ro

[Tatoosh]

Yeah, the US Citizens who have 13a visas and travel outside the Philippines get whacked the exit tax. One of the reasons one of the local expats doesn't get his 13a because he comes and goes too often due to his work. I had to pay an exit tax as a tourist after being here over 16 months when I flew to Guam. Happily the travel agent I bought the ticket from caught it so I didn't get blind sided when I showed up at the airport.

[Art2ro]

Yeah, the US Citizens who have 13a visas and travel outside the Philippines get whacked the exit tax. One of the reasons one of the local expats doesn't get his 13a because he comes and goes too often due to his work. I had to pay an exit tax as a tourist after being here over 16 months when I flew to Guam. Happily the travel agent I bought the ticket from caught it so I didn't get blind sided when I showed up at the airport.

Thank you for verifying a portion of what I was trying to explain in my post! It does vary from person to person depending on ones immigration status! A lot of these immigration laws and rule of thumb are confusing and one has to carefully read between the lines and interrupt what actually apply to oneself and or his family!

[FlyAway]

When we left Manila last week my wife was charged 200 Peso's for a processing fee. No other taxes were paid. We went to the "Travel Tax" counter showed her passport and US Residency (Green Card). After taking a few photo copies and the 200 Peso's, we were good to go. The airline just wanted to see the clearance stamp.We discovered it is better to just go to the travel tax counter first instead of trying to check into the flight first.200 Peso is all they charged us last year as well.

[Art2ro]

Here is another website explaining who must pay the travel tax and who may be exempted from paying it!http://www.philembas...tion/travel-taxWho Must Pay Travel Tax

• Filipino nationals
• Permanent resident aliens
• Non-resident aliens who have stayed in the Philippines for more than one (1) year.

Who Are Exempted

• Filipino overseas contract workers
• Filipino permanent residents abroad whose stay in the Philippines is less than one year
• Infants (2 years old and below)

Requirements for ExemptionFilipino Overseas Contract Workers -

• Valid passport
• Employment certificate
• Valid overseas Employment certificate (OEC) from POEA if hired through this agency. The OEC serves as the travel tax exemption certificate; workers do not need to go to PTA for exemption.
• For those directly hired abroad, a certificate of work or employment issued by the employer and noted by the Philippine Embassy / Consulate or the Employment Contract authenticated by the Philippine Embassy / Consulate.

Filipino Permanent Residents Abroad -

• Copies of ID pages of passport and stamp of last arrival in the Philippines
• Proof of permanent residence in foreign country which may, among others, be the official document issued by the foreign government concerned showing the grant of permanent resident status to the Filipino citizen
• For those between 18 to 60 years old and are employed, Philippine Income Tax return (ITR) for the previous yearThe ITR may either be
  • An Information Return (BIR Form 1701C or 1703) for those who do not derive income in the Philippines
  • The appropriate ITR form prescribed by the BIR for those who derived income in the Philippines

  [*]For those between 18 to 60 years old and are unemployed, an Affidavit of Unemployment notarized by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate

Infants

• Photocopy of passport
• Certified true copy of birth certificate

Requirements for Reduced Rates of Travel TaxesMinors from 2 - 12 years of age

• Copy of birth certificate or ID pages of passport

Legitimate spouse of OFW

• Passport
• Authenticated copy and valid Overseas Employment Certificate of spouse from POEA or information sheet of OFW from POEA
• Original marriage contract

Legitimate Unmarried Children of OFW below 21 years old

• Passport
• Authenticated copy and valid Overseas Employment Certificate of parent from POEA or information sheet of OFW from POEA
• Original birth certificate.

Other Individuals Exempted from Travel Tax

• Foreign diplomatic representatives
• Employees of the UN and its agencies
• US military personnel
• International carrier crew
• Philippine foreign service personnel assigned abroad and their dependents
• Philippine Government employees on official travel (excluding Government-owned and controlled corporations)
• Grantees of foreign Government funded trips
• Students with approved scholarships by appropriate Government agency
• Personnel of Philippine offices of multinational corporations not engaged in business in the Philippines and their dependents.

For more information:Revenue DepartmentPhilippine Tourism AuthorityR. 117, DOT Bldg., TM Kalaw, Rizal Park, ManilaTel. no. 523-3029, 524-7734, 524-7141 loc. 100, 103, 109E-mail address: revenue@philtourism.com or trvltax@philtourism.comWebsite: www.philtourism.com