MANILA, Philippines — Tinatayang 1.2 milyong karagdagang manggagawa ang maaaring magkaroon ng hanggang ₱15,000 dagdag na taunang take-home pay kapag itinaas mula ₱250,000 patungong ₱350,000 ang personal income tax exemption threshold, ayon kay Finance Secretary Frederick Go.
Iminungkahi ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ang mas mataas na tax-exemption ceiling sa kaniyang ikalimang State of the Nation Address.
“I’d like to say that the Department of Finance fully supports all the reforms and measures mentioned by President Bongbong Marcos… This is a timely and meaningful tax reform that puts more money in the pockets of millions of Filipinos,” ani Go sa isang press conference sa Manila.
Sa ilalim ng Republic Act No. 10963 o Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law, hindi nagbabayad ng income tax ang mga manggagawang kumikita ng hanggang ₱250,000 kada taon.
Sinabi ni Go na tataas mula 5.1 milyon patungong 6.3 milyon ang bilang ng mga tax-exempt na manggagawa kapag naisabatas ang panukala.
“By raising the [annual] income tax exemption threshold from P250,000 to P350,000, you might think that it’s only those within the P250,000 to P350,000 [bracket] who will benefit from the exemption,” ani Go.
“But actually everybody above P350,000 as well will also benefit,” dagdag niya.
Ayon kay Go, maaari ring makatanggap ng hanggang ₱17,500 taunang income tax relief ang mga kumikita ng ₱350,000 pataas dahil maa-adjust din ang kasalukuyang tax brackets.
“Workers earning P350,000 and above can receive up to a maximum of P17,500 more in income tax relief that will translate to up to P17,500 more in annual take-home pay. So this means, of course, that there will be a bigger share of hard-earned income that can go towards everyday needs,” ani Go.
Sa kasalukuyang TRAIN Law, pinapatawan ng graduated tax rates na 15 porsiyento hanggang 35 porsiyento ang kita na lagpas sa ₱250,000, depende sa taunang taxable income.
Tinataya ng Department of Finance na maaaring umabot sa ₱60 bilyon ang mawawalang kita ng gobyerno dahil sa panukalang tax reform.
Sinabi ni Go na maaaring kunin sa excise taxes ang ipapalit sa mawawalang revenue, kabilang ang mga buwis sa tobacco at sugar-sweetened beverages, bagama’t wala siyang tinukoy na partikular na buwis na itataas.
“All you have to do is look at the categories that are taxed with excise taxes and you’ll sort of figure out. They should be the same, normally they would be the same industries that would have to be covered,” ani Go. Dave Baluyot
