Public school teachers want more tax exemptions, urge BIR to tax the rich more

Alliance of Concerned Teachers in action: Change outdated tax exemption levels PHOTO FROM ACT-TEACHERS.COM

MANILA, Philippines—Two public school teachers’ groups have called on the Bureau of Internal Revenue to change “outdated” tax exemption levels that have made them lose a large part of their salaries to taxes.

They urged the BIR to focus on large tax evaders or taxing the rich, instead of taxing middle and fixed-income earners like them.

“We are not happy paying our taxes unless they lower the taxable amount. They should increase the tax exemption because it’s already outdated,” Alliance of Concerned Teachers chairman Benjie Valbuena said.

He said their tax exemption level has been pegged at P50,000 since 2008 “so any salary increases are just eaten up by taxes.”

“We pay high taxes because we are forced to. They should zero in and make an example of big businessmen,” Valbuena added.

Teachers’ Dignity Coalition chairman Benjo Basas said the Department of Finance (DOF) merely confirmed the unfair tax structure.

“It only goes to show that teachers, while among the lowest paid government professionals, are religiously paying taxes and those who dictate their income from clients in private practice pay less than we do,” he said.

“We are actually asking the government to reduce our taxes so we can have a bigger take home pay,” Valbuena stressed.

He said it would be better if the DOF ensured that big time tax evaders were prosecuted “including the high-ranking government officials who receive big taxable bonuses.”