Title
Increase in Excise Taxes on Alcohol and Tobacco
Law
Republic Act No. 9334
Decision Date
Dec 21, 2004
Republic Act No. 9334 increases the excise tax rates on alcohol and tobacco products in the Philippines, while also establishing guidelines for their classification and taxation, with specific amendments made to the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997.

Excise Tax on Wines

  • Wine taxed per liter based on type and net retail price:
    • Sparkling wines/champagnes:  145.60 if  500;  436.80 if >  500
    • Still wines % alcohol or less:  17.47
    • Still wines 14%-25% alcohol:  34.94
  • Fortified wines (alcohol >25%) taxed as distilled spirits.
  • Similar definitions and tax classification rules as distilled spirits.
  • Net retail price determined by price surveys.
  • Variants and new brands taxed by suggested retail price; no classification can be lower than highest variant.
  • Price validations occur after 3 and 18 months of product launch.
  • Tax rates increase by 8% every two years from 2007 to 2011.
  • Downward reclassification prohibited.
  • Quarterly submission of sworn sales volume statements required.
  • Penalties for misdeclaration include permit cancellation, fines, criminal liability, and deportation.

Excise Tax on Fermented Liquors

  • Tax on beer, lager, ale, porter, and similar liquors except tuba, basi, tapuy:
    • Net retail price < P14.50/liter: P8.27/liter
    • P14.50 to P22.00/liter: P12.30/liter
    • P22.00/liter: P16.33/liter

  • Fermented liquors brewed and sold in microbreweries/establishments taxed at highest rate.
  • Variants and new brands classification as with distilled spirits.
  • Net retail price determined through surveys in Metro Manila and regional markets.
  • Tax rate increases by 8% every two years starting 2007 to 2011.
  • Downward reclassification prohibited.
  • Monthly submission of sworn sales volume statements mandated.
  • Penalties for misrepresentation include permit cancellation, treble fines, criminal liability, and deportation.

Excise Tax on Tobacco Products

  • P1.00 tax per kilogram for tobacco prepared variously except stemmed leaf tobacco used for export or manufacturing.
  • Chewing tobacco taxed at P0.79 per kilogram.
  • Tax increases by 6% every two years from 2007 to 2011.
  • Monthly submission of sworn sales statements required.
  • Penalties include permit cancellation, treble fines, criminal liability, and deportation for violations.

Excise Tax on Cigars and Cigarettes

  • Cigars taxed on net retail price per cigar:
    •  500 or less: 10%
    •  500:  50 plus 15% of excess

  • Hand-packed cigarettes taxed per pack (rates increase biennially 2005-2011 from P2.00 to P2.72).
  • Machine-packed cigarettes taxed in four price brackets with scheduled increases (2005-2011):
    • Below  5.00
    •  5.00 to  6.50
    •  6.50 to  10.00
    • Above  10.00
  • Variants taxed based on suggested retail price; classification cannot be lower than highest variant.
  • Maximum pack sizes prescribed for hand-packed (thirties) and machine-packed (twenties) cigarettes.
  • Downward reclassification prohibited.
  • Price validations after 3 and 18 months.
  • Monthly submission of sworn sales statements required.
  • Penalties include permit cancellation, treble fines, criminal liability, and deportation.

Payment of Excise Taxes on Imported Articles

  • Importer or owner liable to pay excise taxes before customs release.
  • Buyers of tax-free imported articles later sold to non-exempt persons become importers liable for excise taxes.
  • Importations of cigars, cigarettes, distilled spirits, fermented liquors, and wines subject to all taxes even in freeports; government duty-free shops exempt only from duties and must label "duty-free" and "not for resale".
  • Mislabeling or resale leads to confiscation and penalties.
  • Tax due constitutes a superior lien on the articles.
  • Imported articles subject to same excise tax rates as local products.

Disposition of Incremental Revenues from Excise Tax Increases

  • Incremental revenues from various laws allocated as follows:
    • From Republic Act No. 7660: allocations for mass-socialized housing, community mortgage, land banking, national health insurance, special education fund for education facilities, and special infrastructure fund with allocations for depressed provinces.
    • From Republic Act No. 8240: 15% of incremental tobacco excise revenues divided among tobacco-producing provinces to fund cooperative, livelihood, and agro-industrial projects benefiting farmers.
    • From excise tax on alcohol and tobacco starting 2005: 2.5% to Philippine Health Insurance Corporation for universal health coverage, 2.5% to Department of Health as a trust fund for disease prevention.
  • Earmarking observed for five years starting 2005.

Implementing Rules and Regulations

  • Secretary of Finance to promulgate necessary rules upon Internal Revenue Commissioner recommendation.

Separability Clause

  • Invalidity of any provision does not affect the rest of the Act.

Repealing Clause

  • Laws, decrees, rules, and executive orders inconsistent with this Act are repealed or amended accordingly.

Effectivity

  • Act takes effect January 1, 2005.

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