VARIOUS government employee groups are now up in arms against the fresh imposition by the BIR of a huge 30-32% tax on all their significant benefits and allowances by virtue of Revenue Memorandum Order (RMO) No. 23-2014.
The Senate employees’ union Sandigan ng mga Empleyadong Nagkakaisa sa Adhikain ng Demokratikong Organisasyon (S.E.N.A.D.O.), in the presence of COURAGE National President Ferdinand Gaite, held a general assembly in the Senate Tuesday to express opposition to the excessive taxes even on benefits gained from collective negotiations between employees’ unions and their respective managements.
“(Since) the employees suffer from very low salaries and horrible debt-driven lives, it is unjust to further collect taxes from us while we, of all sectors, have been faithfully paying our taxes since time immemorial.
Hindi pa nga nangangalahati sa ‘living wage’ ang sahod ng mayorya sa mga kawani ay pinaliit pa lalo ang kanilang take home pay dahil sa napakalaking dagdag sa buwis,” exclaimed S.E.N.A.D.O. President Dakila Millamena.
COURAGE President Gaite said that, indeed, government has no right to exact its ‘pound of flesh’ from government employees if it cannot even provide a living wage.
He revealed that the tax compliance rate of government employees is 80-90%, while that of professionals and businesses is merely 20-50%.
He said that in its overzealousness to collect taxes which it finds difficult to do from private individuals and businesses, the BIR could only turn to the government employees whose taxes are automatically deducted from their salaries even before they receive them.
Gaite said that other unions from the judiciary branch have also been conducting similar assemblies to contest the policy and that bigger protest actions and a motion seeking a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court are now being prepared.
Senator Ralph Recto expressed willingness to join such protest actions, while Senator Sonny Trillanes even offered P50,000 to S.E.N.A.D.O. to help pay for the initial fees of the lawyers who will represent it in court.
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.. Continue: Remate.ph (source)
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