A lot of Filipino gamers have been flooding social feeds, convinced that Steam quietly shoved the new 12 % Value-Added Tax (VAT) onto developers while somehow keeping retail prices exactly the same—and now they’re showering Gabe Newell with praise. Here’s the thing: Steam didn’t pull some magic trick to subsidize your purchases. What actually happened is way more boring but still important. Valve just changed how VAT is applied, so all listed prices now include the 12 % tax, and Steam itself collects and remits it. Many publishers decided not to bump their sticker price, effectively absorbing the extra 12 % for the time being. Below, I’ll walk you through exactly how this all works, why you haven’t noticed a price hike, and what “shouldering the tax” really means for the folks making your favorite games.
What Is the 12 % VAT on Digital Services?
As of June 1, 2025, the Philippine government started enforcing a mandatory 12 % VAT on any foreign digital service sold to Filipino consumers—games, software, subscriptions, you name it. The idea is to level the playing field so local and international providers follow the same rules . In plain English, that means if you buy a game, DLC, or in-game item on Steam from the Philippines, Valve needs to collect that 12 % and hand it over to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
How Steam’s VAT Implementation Works
Inclusive Pricing Model
Gone are the days when you’d see a base price then watch another line pop up at checkout saying “+ 12 % VAT.” Steam switched to a “VAT-inclusive” pricing system for Philippine users. If a game shows up as ₱1 000, that amount already has the 12 % VAT baked into it. At checkout, you won’t suddenly see a “+ 12 % VAT” surprise—you simply pay the price you see . Valve’s Tax FAQ confirms that Steam handles all of the pesky tax calculations, collections and remittances so that developers don’t have to register with the BIR unless they hit certain revenue thresholds .
Valve as Tax Collector
Here’s how it plays out behind the scenes: let’s say a game is listed at ₱1 000. When a Filipino gamer clicks “Buy,” Steam collects ₱1 000 and sends that full amount to the publisher. Then Valve deducts the 12 % VAT portion (₱107.14) and remits it to the BIR. What remains—₱892.86—goes to the developer as their net revenue . In effect, Steam is acting as the tax collector, simplifying compliance for studios but also shrinking their per‐unit haul unless they hike prices.
Why Retail Prices Haven’t (Visibly) Increased
Publishers Absorbing the VAT
Despite the new 12 % VAT, most developers and publishers decided not to touch their listed Steam price for Philippine users. By keeping a tag price of ₱1 000, they’re basically “eating” the VAT themselves—accepting ₱892.86 instead of ₱1 000 per sale. That way Filipino gamers don’t get slapped with an immediate price hike . In short, game makers are shouldering the 12 % VAT by sacrificing a slice of each sale instead of passing that cost to players.
“Steam has begun implementing the 12 % VAT, but for now game prices at checkout remain unchanged because publishers are bearing the extra charge,” reports GadgetPilipinas on June 3, 2025 .
“Steam is passing the VAT to publishers instead of consumers. Although publishers now pay more tax, Valve values its customers and keeps prices flat—at least until publishers decide otherwise,” notes Unbox.ph on June 4, 2025 .
Consumer Impact
If you’re a Filipino gamer, nothing about your Steam shopping experience changed. The price you saw before June 1, 2025 is the same you see now. There is no extra “VAT added at checkout” line item, and your credit card still gets charged exactly what you expect . So yes, folks have been quick to thank “Gaben,” but the real reason they’re not paying more at checkout is publishers eating that 12 % slice.
What “Shouldering the Tax” Really Means for Developers
Reduced Net Revenue
Keeping the listed price flat means developers take a 12 % revenue hit on every sale. If a studio sold a game for ₱1 000 pre‐VAT, they used to pocket that full amount (minus Steam’s usual fee). Now Steam charges ₱1 000, sends ₱892.86 to the publisher, and forwards the ₱107.14 VAT to the BIR. That ₱107.14 never touches the publisher’s pocket; it goes straight to the taxman .
Indie teams with razor‐thin budgets might find it impossible to swallow a sustained 12 % revenue cut. AAA publishers can probably bear the pain for a bit, but smaller developers face a stark choice: keep prices flat and bleed margin or raise your price and risk scaring off price‐sensitive gamers. The Reddit community r/PHGamers says, “video game publishers often absorb VAT costs instead of raising prices to avoid backlash, but they could still adjust prices if margins get too thin” .
Future Price Adjustments
Publishers still get to set their own regional prices on Steam. If that 12 % VAT squeeze becomes untenable—especially for lower‐selling titles—developers can bump their listed price so their net revenue equals what they made before VAT. For instance, raising a ₱1 000 game to ₱1 120 would net ₱1 000 after Steam remits VAT .
Valve isn’t forcing anyone to freeze prices indefinitely. Studios can adjust whenever they want. If you spot a title suddenly jump by roughly 12 %, that just means the devs decided they couldn’t keep eating that tax and now you’re picking up the tab .
Valve’s Official Tax & VAT FAQ: Key Takeaways
Valve’s partner documentation lays it out clearly:
- VAT Inclusive Prices
Steam’s storefront always shows VAT-inclusive prices for regions where it’s required. No surprises at checkout—what you see is what you pay . - Steam as the Remitter
Steam collects the VAT portion of each sale and sends it directly to the appropriate authorities (in this case, the Philippines’ BIR). Developers don’t need to handle VAT themselves unless they cross local thresholds that force them to register independently. - Publisher Discretion
Publishers set regional prices. Steam enforces a VAT-inclusive model, but studios can tweak their Philippine price anytime. If they want to maintain their pre‐VAT revenue, they have to bump the displayed price by about 12 %.
For the full run-down, see Valve’s Tax & VAT FAQ: https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/finance/taxfaq .
Common Misinformation & Clarifications
Misconception: “Developers are paying the VAT so prices will stay the same forever.”
It’s true many publishers are absorbing VAT right now, but it’s neither mandatory nor permanent. Those flat‐price decisions are voluntary, and developers can still raise prices whenever they want .
Misconception: “Gabe Newell personally asked devs to cover the VAT.”
Nope. Valve’s platform simply switched to an inclusive VAT model to obey Philippine law. Publishers have two options: keep their listed price unchanged and take a smaller revenue cut or raise it so their net matches pre‐VAT levels .
Misconception: “Steam prices haven’t increased because Valve is foot-ing the bill.”
Valve isn’t subsidizing VAT. Steam’s fee structure—30 % standard cut or 25 % after $10 million in revenue—remains the same. Publishers are the ones “eating” that extra 12 %, not Valve.
What Filipino Gamers Should Know
- Current Prices Are Final: Log into Steam today, and the price you see is exactly what you’ll pay—no hidden VAT surcharge .
- Keep an Eye on Future Changes: If you’ve been eyeing a game and notice it jumps by about 12 %, that likely means the developers couldn’t keep absorbing the tax and decided to pass it on .
- Support Local Compliance: The VAT system ensures foreign digital platforms contribute tax revenue just like local businesses. That might squeeze margins, but it helps fund public services and keeps the market fair.
Let’s be clear: Steam’s move to VAT-inclusive pricing in the Philippines isn’t a benevolent gift from Gabe Newell. It’s simply Valve complying with Philippine law. Listed prices now embed the 12 % VAT, and Steam handles collecting and remitting it on behalf of publishers. Many developers are voluntarily keeping their Philippine prices flat, effectively sacrificing a slice of their revenue so gamers don’t pay more—at least for now. But publishers still have full discretion to change prices down the line. If you see a sudden 12 % increase on a title, it means the studio decided they couldn’t keep shouldering that cost. Until then, Filipino gamers can breathe easy knowing that Steam’s VAT rollout hasn’t translated into instant price hikes—though that reprieve might not last forever.
Editors of GGPWTECH