Philippines

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Philippines

lapres.jpg

 

Richard Lapres

Deloitte Philippines

19th Floor Net Lima Plaza

5th Ave. corner 26th St.

Bonifacio Global City, 1634 Taguig

Philippines

Tel: +63 (2) 581 9044

Fax: +63 (2) 869 3676

Email: rlapres@deloitte.com

Website: www.deloitte.com

Richard, Deloitte Philippines, is a tax partner with 20 years of professional experience in audit, tax, and corporate services.

Richard leads tax due diligence reviews for merger and acquisitions and advises on the Philippines tax consequences of acquisition structures. He handles tax compliance reviews for audit and non-audit clients. He also advises clients on tax planning and restructuring post-merger and acquisition. He represents clients with the tax authorities in contesting tax assessments and claiming tax refunds. He also advises and supervises registration and entities investing in the Philippines with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and those entities availing of tax and fiscal incentives with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), Board of Investments (BOI), and other government agencies. He also heads the indirect tax and customs practice of Deloitte in the Philippines.

Richard earned a bachelor of science degree in accountancy from the University of St La-Salle, Philippines, and was placed 16th overall in the October 1994 CPA board examinations in the Philippines. He also completed the strategic business economics programme (SBEP) at the University of Asia and the Pacific, School of Economics in the Philippines.

Richard is a member of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountant (PICPA), Association of CPAs in Public Practice (ACPAPP) and the Tax Management Association of the Philippines (TMAP).

deloitte-280.png


abela.jpg

 

Walter Abela, Jr

Deloitte Philippines

19th Floor Net Lima Plaza

5th Ave. corner 26th St.

Bonifacio Global City, 1634 Taguig

Philippines

Tel: +63 (2) 581 9034

Fax: +63 (2) 869 3676

Email: wabela@deloitte.com

Website: www.deloitte.com

Walter Abela, Jr, Deloitte Philippines, is a tax and corporate services partner with over 19 years of tax and professional services experience. His experience covers tax assessments, due diligence, tax rulings, and government regulatory consulting for multinational enterprises engaged in the consumer business and transportation, energy and resources, manufacturing, services, and technology, and media and telecommunications industries. He addresses queries on tax and other corporate concerns, and provides regular tax consultation work. Walter also handles registration matters and other requirements for doing business in the Philippines, and participates in tax planning work and tax restructuring focused on tax-saving measures to international clients.

Walter heads the Japanese service group (JSG) and the merger and acquisitions (M&A) group of the firm's tax and corporate services. He is a member of the young leaders advisory council (YLAC) of Deloitte Southeast Asia for the fiscal year 2014–15.

Walter is a lawyer and a certified public accountant. He is also an accredited tax practitioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and is a member of the Philippine Institute of CPAs, Association of CPAs in Public Practice, Association of CPAs in Commerce and Industry, Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and Tax Management Association of the Philippines.

Walter received his Bachelor of Laws from the School of Law of Arellano University and Bachelor of Science in accountancy from San Beda College. He has also completed the strategic business economics program at the University of Asia and the Pacific, Philippines.

deloitte-280.png


Carlos Baniqued

Baniqued & Baniqued

Terence Conrad H Bello

Baniqued & Baniqued

Mario Rosario L Bernardo

Salvador & Associates

Ronald Bernas

Baker & McKenzie/Quisumbing Torres

Dennis Dimagiba

Baker & McKenzie/Quisumbing Torres

Fidela T Isip-Reyes

EY (SGV & Co)

Herminigildo Murakami

KPMG

Cirilo P Noel

EY

Mary Karen Quizon

KPMG

Wilfredo U Villanueva

EY

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

The levies extended beyond the president’s ‘legitimate reach’, the Supreme Court ruled
While Brazil’s consumption tax overhaul led to a short-term spike in tax advisory demand, we are now in a period of ‘normalisation’ marked by decreased recruitment
The expanded firm will comprise roughly 8,500 employees, including 550 partners; in other news, Paul Hastings and Macfarlanes made senior tax hires
Meanwhile, one expert highlights the importance of separating Venezuela’s tax authority from direct political control after ‘lost decades and isolation’
With PMK 108, Indonesia has upgraded its tax transparency regime for the digital era, focusing on data quality, governance, and cross border exchange rather than expanding regulatory reach
In a popular LinkedIn post, Jeremie Beitel encouraged firms to invest in junior talent even if it doesn’t lead to their loyalty, though recruiters offered ITR a mixed assessment
Advisers who do not register for the new regime in time could be prevented from interacting with HMRC, the tax authority said
Valid pillar two objectives are still intact after the side-by-side agreement, but whether the framework is now settled is ‘a $64,000 question’, Morrison Foerster’s tax chair told ITR
Ian Halligan previously led Baker Tilly’s international tax services in the US
Exclusive ITR data emphasises that DEI does not affect in-house buying decisions – and it’s nothing to do with the US president
Gift this article