What changed·Jul 2026

The Philippines' tourist VAT refund cleared its court challenge

The Supreme Court upheld RA 12079 in July 2026, the law that refunds the 12% VAT to foreign tourists on goods of at least 3,000 pesos from accredited stores, taken out of the country within 60 days. The scheme is still rolling out.

Why it matters: The refund is real and here to stay, but the accredited-store network is still growing, so ask whether a shop is in the scheme before you count on it.

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