Philippine government urged to promote estate tax amnesty program

Senators Pia Cayetano and Alan Peter Cayetano have urged government agencies to step up efforts to promote the Estate Tax Amnesty program so more Filipinos can benefit from the measure once it is enacted.

The call was made during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, chaired by Pia Cayetano, which discussed the law and proposals seeking to extend the period for availing of the tax relief.

The senators said the issue often surfaces during consultations with ordinary Filipinos through their public service television program, “Cayetano in Action with Boy Abunda” (CIA with BA), which they host with Boy Abunda.

“This issue was brought to my attention as a lawyer, not so much as a lawmaker. They (show participants) ask us questions in our show where we often encounter the layers of generations that did not settle the Estate Tax,” Pia Cayetano said.

She stressed that government agencies should actively promote the amnesty program to encourage more heirs to settle long-standing tax liabilities.

“At the end of the day, you have to market this Amnesty that you're giving to the people so that they will know and avail this because this is how you can save. And we have to emphasize its benefit,” she told officials present during the hearing.

The Estate Tax Amnesty was first enacted in 2018 and implemented from 2019 to 2020, before being extended until 2022.

Cayetano, a principal author and sponsor of the law, said she pushed for the measure again in the 20th Congress to help Filipinos settle unpaid estate taxes at a more affordable cost.

During the hearing, the committee reviewed data on the number of taxpayers who availed themselves of the program and discussed proposals for a second extension.

Records presented to the panel showed that from 2019 to June 2025, the government collected around P15.7 billion from roughly 322,000 taxpayers who availed themselves of the amnesty.

Under the program, heirs are allowed to settle unpaid estate taxes without paying interest, surcharges, or penalties. It also applies the current 6 percent estate tax rate, which is lower than the rates previously imposed.

Despite these benefits, Cayetano said many Filipinos remain unaware of the program. She cited cases commonly raised during their television program where estate taxes remain unsettled across several generations, often resulting in family disputes and idle properties.

“Let's say Mr. X died, and he has a wife and he has kids. So he and his wife have property. They didn't do anything about it when he died. Then his wife died. Then among the kids, one child lived on the property, the others didn't. Then the one who lived in the property also died. Then his children and the cousins want to get the property. Mga kababayan, iyan ang nagiging problema,” she said.

“They can settle it on their own, but the legal documents, the ownership will never be transferred unless they settle the taxes properly. This becomes the issue kasi nasa pangalan pa ng lolo, eh matagal nang patay si lolo. Away na talaga yan. That's why it is important to settle the estate taxes,” she added.

For his part, Alan Peter Cayetano encouraged taxpayers to take advantage of the amnesty once available, emphasizing that taxes remain essential for government operations.

He described taxes as the “lifeline of government.”

Pia Cayetano later suspended the hearing, noting that the proposed measure extending the Estate Tax Amnesty could be sponsored on the Senate floor at any time.

“Mag-avail tayo ng tax amnesty. That's why we're having this hearing,” she said.

-Paraluman News