Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The Philippines and Singapore have concluded negotiations to update their bilateral tax treaty, aiming to modernize rules governing cross-border trade, investment, and economic growth, the Department of Finance (DOF) announced.
The four-day talks, held in Singapore from September 22 to 25, sought to revise the original 1977 Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) to better reflect modern economic realities and evolving international tax standards between the two Southeast Asian partners, the DOF said.
“The Philippines is committed to strengthening tax cooperation across the region. The renegotiation of the DTA will help modernize our tax framework to support investment and economic growth while protecting our legitimate taxing rights,” said Finance Secretary Frederick Go.
According to the DOF, the updated framework will provide clearer and more predictable tax rules for cross-border income, strengthen cooperation between tax authorities, and ensure fair taxation as trade, capital, technology, and labor movements expand between both nations.
The renegotiation forms part of ongoing efforts by Manila to modernize its network of tax treaties across ASEAN member states to keep pace with developments in international taxation.
Meanwhile, the DOF also welcomed the Philippine Senate’s concurrence with the Philippines-Cambodia DTA signed in February 2025, bringing that agreement closer to entering into force to prevent double taxation and boost anti-tax evasion efforts within the regional bloc.