AFTER a decade of experience with business registration, tax compliance, accounting and business closures, I’ve noticed one surprising reality: It’s often easier to register a business than it is to properly close one. It sounds ironic, but it’s true. Starting a business today is much easier than it used to be. Registering a business can be completed in a matter of days through various digital government platforms. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to formalize their businesses with streamlined...

THERE’S a question quietly making its way around offices these days: Is it really just two weeks left or do we still have two weeks more? The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) deadline for the 2025 annual income tax return (ITR) remains fixed on April 15. No extensions announced. No changes in sight. For many taxpayers, those “two weeks left” can feel like “two weeks more,” a small but dangerous illusion that there’s still time to delay, to revisit later, to push just a little further down...

LET’s be honest. When people hear the word “accounting,” many instantly think of calculators, spreadsheets and professionals in corporate...