The new law signed by President Aquino favors OFWs and Balikbayan. If you are an Overseas Filipino, you can now send back to the Philippines or carry with you as pasalubong cargo tax-free balikbayan boxes up to P150,000.
Contents of the balikbayan boxes up to P150,000 must be personal and household effects NOT in commercial quantities.
The old antiquated custom law only allows tax-free on P10,000 worth of goods. This year through this new law CMTA or Republic Act 10863, the P10,000 has been raised to P150,000 with provision in the law to increase maximum amount every 3 years to cater to inflation and rising prices.
If you will bring in products from abroad into the Philippines and these are intended for selling, it is smuggling, and is not covered by the new law on balikbayan boxes. Beware because there are now stricter penalties imposed on unscrupulous individuals who will send or bring in goods for trade by using the balikbayan boxes. This law is for the benefit of OFWs and all Overseas Filipinos.
Who made this law happened? We have the following law makers to thank for Senator Ralph Recto for the inclusion of his authored bill Balikbayan Box Law. Congressman Reynaldo Umali et. al. for his Lower House version of the CMTA, Senator Sonny Angara et. al. for sponsoring the Upper House version of the bill. And finally President Noynoy Aquino for approving and signing the bill. Today, this is now called the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016.
If you will send pasalubong via international courier to be delivered to your family back in the Philippines, is the P150,000 maximum amount applicable? YES!
If you will return home and bring with you bags or boxes of pasalubong up to P150,000, is this law applicable? YES!
The CMTA law is applicable as long as the content’s value does not exceed 150,000 and must only be personal and household effects not in commercial quantity, purely for pasalubong.
BE AWARE OF YOUR RIGHTS and this new LAW especially at the airport when you come home for a visit in the Philippines.
SPECIAL CASES:
For Overseas Filipinos who have lived abroad for at least 10 years and is returning FOR GOOD in the Philippines (meaning will not go back to reside abroad), you can send or bring it as much as P350,000 worth of household items and personal effects.
Meanwhile, for overseas Filipinos who are visiting the Philippines after staying abroad or working abroad for at least 5 years, you can have balikbayan boxes worth up to P250,000 tax-free.
For Filipinos who resides and works abroad for less than one year, they are entitled to P150,000 tax-free exemptions on their pasalubong and balikbayan boxes.
So ano pang hinihintay, sabihan agad an gating mga OFWs na kamag-anak ukol sa bagong batas na to.
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