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Taxing denatured alcohol: Sen. Win Gatchalian presides over the Committee on Ways and Means hearing Wednesday, March 5, 2025, on House Bill No. (HBN) 10535 which seeks to amend Sections 134 and 168 of Republic Act No. 8424, or the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, by imposing tax on denatured alcohol. Under RA 8424, only domestic denatured alcohol by distillers is exempt from excise tax. Denatured alcohol is ethanol that has been treated with additives to make it poisonous, bad-tasting, and foul-smelling. It's used as a solvent, fuel, and in many household products. HBN 10535 seeks to impose a uniform tax on denatured alcohol regardless of its source, while the current law impose tax only on ingredients and not on finished alcohol products. In his opening statement, Gatchalian stressed that the country’s national debt rocketed to staggering P16.3 trillion, which only meant to expand the economy. “The strategy of the government is really to outgrow debt by growing our economy as fast as possible so when you grow our economy you have more revenues and when you have more ways to pay off debt,” Gatchalian explained. “One of the objectives of this committee is to look for new sources of revenue for the government, no matter how small, if there are gaps in existing laws and those gaps can generate additional revenue, then that will be the best,” stressing that the proposed tax on denatured alcohol can be a potential source of new revenue. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)