MARK ANTHONY P. TAMAYO
Business entities engaged in the manufacture of finished products for eventual export typically source the majority of their raw material (RM) inputs from foreign suppliers. These purchases will, upon their importation, be subject to the payment of customs duties and import taxes (generally, value added tax or VAT). Said payments, however, may be recovered through the filing of a formal claim for refund (by way of duty drawback and an application for VAT refund) with the revenue authorities (customs or tax authorities, as the case may be) upon subsequent export of their finished products.