The Philippines and Hong Kong have held their first round of talks on a bilateral income tax treaty aimed at enhancing cross-border tax cooperation.
The Philippine Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has announced that Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui, Jr., led the country’s delegation in the initial round of income tax treaty negotiations with Hong Kong.
The discussions took place from 21 to 23 May 2025.
The three-day discussions reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to strengthening international tax cooperation, fostering economic partnerships, and ensuring fair and equitable taxation on cross-border income. Commissioner Benjamin Chan Sze-wai of the Inland Revenue Department headed the Hong Kong SAR delegation.
This marks the first time the two jurisdictions have formally engaged in talks to establish a bilateral income tax agreement. Both sides agreed to continue negotiations, with a second round planned to work toward finalising the treaty.
The treaty must be finalised, signed, and ratified before it can take effect.
