Persons exempt from Value Added Tax (VAT) include specific organizations, businesses, and individuals operating within, or receiving, exempt services, such as healthcare providers, educators, charities, and financial institutions. These entities do not charge VAT on their sales but cannot reclaim VAT on related business costs.
Common Examples ✅ VAT Exempt Persons Small businesses with gross sales below ₱3 million (subject to percentage tax instead). Non-profits and government entities engaging in charitable, educational, or religious activities. Self-employed professionals with low annual income.
There is no general relief from VAT for people who are disabled or chronically ill. However, a zero rate can be applied to certain supplies to disabled people for their domestic or personal use – that means, no VAT is charged. People aged 60 or over may also be eligible for some VAT reliefs.
Definition of a VAT exempt
Some sales of goods and services are exempt from VAT . That means if you sell these goods and services you won't charge your customers any VAT, and if you buy them there will be no VAT to reclaim.
Those who register under VAT and are eligible to be taxed are called taxable persons and those who do not register are called non-taxable persons.
To get the product VAT free your disability has to qualify. For VAT purposes, you're disabled or have a long-term illness if: you have a physical or mental impairment that affects your ability to carry out everyday activities, for example blindness. you have a condition that's treated as chronic sickness, like diabetes.
Eligibility: Typically, businesses with annual gross sales or receipts below the VAT threshold—set at PHP 3 million as of 2025—are classified as non-VAT. Tax Obligation: These entities remit a 3% percentage tax to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) rather than the 12% VAT, streamlining their compliance process.
If something is exempt from VAT, it's usually because the product is considered to be an essential good or service. HMRC has a full list of VAT-exempt products, but some of the main goods and services that are exempt from VAT include: Sporting activities and physical education. Education and training.
Professionals and sole-proprietors have the option to pick between the two (VAT or Non-VAT). However, if your gross sales exceed PHP 3 million, you are required by the Bureau to opt for VAT. Still, confused about which to opt for? Ask your district's BIR Regional District Office (RDO).
Some examples of VAT-exempt sectors include: Basic and Essential Goods: Sale or importation of agricultural and marine food products in their original state (e.g., fresh fish, vegetables). Educational Services: Services rendered by accredited private educational institutions and government educational institutions.
Senior citizens are exempt from paying value-added tax (VAT). As such, restaurants should deduct this amount from the total selling price. For example, if your menu includes pork dinuguan and puto, here's how you should compute the VAT-exempt sale for an entire order.
Healthcare: Medical services, hospital care, and the supply of certain medical products may also be exempt from VAT. Financial services: Many financial services, like insurance and banking, are VAT-exempt. Charitable activities: Donations and activities carried out by registered charities may be exempt from VAT.
Some seniors must pay federal income taxes on their Social Security benefits, depending on their income and filing status. If you have a source of income that is substantially more than what you receive from your Social Security benefits, you will pay federal income taxes on up to 85% of your benefits.
Who Does Not Have to Pay Taxes? You generally don't have to pay taxes if your income is less than the standard deduction or the total of your itemized deductions, if you have a certain number of dependents, if you work abroad and are below the required thresholds, or if you're a qualifying non-profit organization.
It applies to all goods and services that are bought and sold for use or consumption in foreign tax jurisdiction. Thus, goods which are sold for export or services which are sold to customers abroad are normally not subject to VAT.
If the organization makes sales that compete with for-profit companies, their sales are often either subject to sales tax when sold or taxable when purchased. Examples of potentially exempt organizations are schools, churches, non-profit hospitals, charitable organizations, and PTAs.
Some traders are not registered for VAT because their businesses have sales (turnover) below the VAT registration threshold and so they cannot charge VAT on their sales (unless they decide to register voluntarily – see the heading below: Voluntary registration).
VAT officers can visit your business to inspect your VAT records (known as compliance checks) and make sure you're paying or reclaiming the right amount of VAT . HM Revenue and Customs ( HMRC ) usually contact you to arrange a visit. They normally give you 7 days' notice.
Shipping your purchases home directly from the retailer is another way to avoid paying VAT, but the added cost may outweigh any savings. You can try to get your VAT refund through the mail but the process takes much longer and can be unreliable. Most people submit their requests at the airport on their way home.
VAT is calculated based on your taxable turnover, not your profit. That means it applies to the total value of your VATable sales, regardless of your expenses or how much profit you actually make. Profit is relevant for income or Corporation Tax, but VAT is purely based on the value of goods or services sold.
You're exempt from withholding if you had no federal tax liability last year and expect none this year, claiming it on a W-4 form; true tax exemption applies to specific non-profit organizations (charities, churches) or certain types of income (like some municipal bonds), not generally to individuals, who instead use deductions or credits to lower taxes. For individuals, low income, dependents, or specific tax-exempt income sources (like certain benefits) can reduce tax burden, but full exemption is rare, and the old personal exemption for individuals was replaced by higher standard deductions.
To receive VAT exemption you need to have a long term illness or disability. For example, a physical or mental impairment which affects you being able to undertake activities, a condition which is considered to be a chronic sickness, such as disabilities or you are terminally ill.
If you're a non-taxpayer – that is you have less than £12,570 income per year, you may be able to earn as much as £18,570 in savings interest tax-free. But it depends on how much income you do have, whether from a pension, or from working. Our Tax-free savings guide has full information.
To deregister for VAT by post, you must complete form VAT7. You will need to fill in this form online, print it, and send it to HMRC at the address shown at the end of the form. If HMRC approves your application, you will receive a formal confirmation notice through the post.