A way to work from home

THE Covid-19 pandemic has revolutionized work habits. It made work-from-home (WFH) arrangements viable and even preferred by certain sectors and employees. Employers, particularly those in the information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) sector, were subsequently challenged after the government required that 100 percent of their work force return to the office. By law, those registered to operate in economic zones should only conduct their registered activities within ecozones.

To address a clamor for the continuation of WFH arrangements, the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB), in Resolution 026-22 dated Sept. 14, 2022, allowed the "transfer" of registration of affected registered IT-BPM business enterprises (RBEs) to the Board of Investments (BoI) from the investment promotion agency (IPA) administering the economic zone or freeport where they are located (on the premise that BoI incentives are available regardless of location). This is to allow firms to implement up to 100-percent WFH arrangements without their tax incentives being adversely affected. The transfer can be done until Dec. 31, 2022.