‘Wag na pahirapan! House panel OKs tax exemption for teachers’ election benefits

By Billy Begas

The House Committee on Ways and Means on Monday approved a measure that will exempt honoraria and other benefits received by teachers who serve as poll workers from income and withholding tax.

The committee headed by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda approved the measure despite the opposition from the Department of Finance (DOF).

DOF representative Valery Brion said 67% of public school teachers who may serve during elections are already below the P250,000 annual income tax threshold.

“The bill will only be exempting those in the higher income threshold,” Brion said.

But ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, one of the authors of the measure said the DOF data was based on 2019 records.

Castro pointed out that starting 2022, all public school teachers will not be exempted from paying income tax since all will be receiving more than P250,000 income with the implementation of the third tranche of the Salary Standardization Law.

According to data from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Salceda said taxes withheld for the 2019 National and Local Elections amounted to P56.8 million.

“Considering both the risks election workers take, the relatively small size of their compensation for such an important function, and the reasonableness of the tax foregone, this proposal does not pose serious threats to our revenue strength,” Salceda added.

Salceda will be a principal sponsor of the substitute bill to the measures filed by Castro and Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Lloren Cuaresma.

“As part of the House leadership team, I will be help defend this bill so that the House can fast-track this in time for the 2022 elections,” Salceda said. “My mother was a teacher for 43 years, so I support this measure. The cost is very reasonable, at around P56.8 million. It’s worth apprehending just one bigtime tax evader. It’s an easy choice.”

Salceda said the “very low-cost measure will help election servers breathe a little easier.”

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)