Marginal Income Earners

BIDA KA!: May galit ba sa mahihirap?

Mga Bida, akala natin ay pahupa na ang isyu ng pork barrel scam kasunod ng paglabas ng committee report ng Senado sa kontrobersiya.

Subalit bigla na namang uminit ang usapan ukol sa usapin kasunod ng paglabas ng iba’t ibang bersiyon ng “Napolist”.

Naririyan ang bersiyon nina Jstiuce Secretary Leila de Lima, da­ting senador at ngayo’y rehab czar Panfilo Lacson at whistleblower Sandra Cam.

Ngayon, marami ang nalilito kung anong listahan ang paniniwalaan. Batay sa lumitaw sa mga balita, halos walang pinagkaiba ang isinumite nina Lacson at De Lima kay Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Sen. TG Guingona.

Gamit ang hawak na ebidensya at testimonya ng mga whistleblowers, kailangan talagang ma-verify ang mga pangalan upang masala natin kung sino ang may sala sa kung sino ang sinasama lang.

Pero kahit sino pa ang nasa listahan, isa lang ang gusto nating mangyari – ang tiyaking maparusahan ang lahat ng may pananagutan sa pagkawala ng bilyun-bilyong piso na mula sa dugo’t pawis ng taumbayan.

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Marami sa atin ay gigil na gigil na sa isyu dahil ang perang nawaldas ay mula sa binayaran nating buwis na inawas mula sa ating suweldo at iba pang kita.

Biruin ninyo, imbes na pakinabangan ng taumbayan, sa bulsa lang ng iilan napunta ang perang nagmula sa pawis at dugo ng milyun-milyong Pilipino.

Kaya dapat alagaan at pahalagahan ng pamahalaan ang bawat piso ng buwis na kinokolekta nito sa taumbayan at tiyakin na ito’y napupunta sa dapat pagkagastusan.

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Kaya nang mabalitaan kong plano ng BIR na singilin ng income tax pati maliliit na negosyante o Marginal Income Earners (MIEs), agad akong kumilos at inihain ang Senate Bill 2227.

Sa aking panukala, hindi na pagbabayarin pa ng income tax ang MIEs, na kinabibilangan ng mga magsasaka, mangingisda, tricycle drivers, may-ari ng maliit na sari-sari store at iba pang maliliit na negosyo na ang kita lamang ay hindi hihigit sa P150,000 kada taon.

Itinatapat lang natin ito sa kumikita ng minimum wage na hindi rin sinisingil ng income tax.

Dapat patas lang ang laban, ‘di ba, mga Bida?

Maliban sa income tax, hindi rin sisingilin ang MIEs ng 12 percent value-added tax o kahit anong percentage tax na pinapataw sa ilalim ng National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 dahil sila’y hindi saklaw ng mga nabanggit na buwis.

Sa pamamagitan nito, mga Bida, mabibigyan ang maliliit na negosyante ng pagkakataon para magtagumpay na bahagi ng ating hinahangad na pag-asenso para sa lahat.

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Agad namang umani ng suporta mula sa ilang MIE ang ating hakbang na huwag na silang pagbayarin ng income tax.

Ayon kay Rod (hindi tunay na pangalan), isang OFW na kasisimula pa lang ng maliit na tindahan, paano aangat ang kanyang negosyo kung sa simula pa lang ay mayroon nang pabigat?

Sinabi naman ni Joy, maraming maliliit na negosyo ang nagsasara dahil sa iba’t ibang klaseng tax na sinisingil ng BIR.

Para naman kay Malou, dapat ay intindihin ng BIR ang pagtugis sa malalaking kumpanya at hindi pahirapan ang mga maliliit na negosyo.

Dapat suportahan natin ang ating mga kababayang makaahon sa kahirapan. Sa isang bayang umaasenso, dapat bawat Pilipino, panalo!

 

First Published on Abante Online

Senate Bill No. 2353: Amending Secs. 22, 24 (A) 51 ) (2), Nirc (Marginal Income Earners)

In a country where 2.96 million Filipinos are unemployed, the poor turn to various forms of self- employment to be able to make ends meet. The farmers and fishermen in the rural areas, and the tricycle drivers and small sari-sari storeowners in the cities, think of innovative ways just to earn a decent income for their families. More than anything else, these micro-entrepreneurs, or Marginal Income Earners (MIEs), need the right opportunity to grow their small businesses into a more sustainable source of living. Charging taxes does not help them in any way; rather, it becomes a burden to a sector that is situated below the poverty line.

This bill seeks to amend the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 so as to exempt the MIEs from taxes. Their income from their small engagements are just enough to sustain the needs of their families. Such a measure provides a more enabling environment for MIEs to thrive and be given a chance to succeed. It further continues our campaign in achieving growth that includes everyone, even and especially the poor and marginalized.

In view of the foregoing, the approval ofthis bill is earnestly sought.

 

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Sen. Bam’s Tax Bill to Unburden the Poor Gets Support

Several stakeholders are pushing for the passage of Senator Bam Aquino’s measure that exempts marginal income earners (MIE) from paying income tax.
 
The Tax Management Association of the Philippines (TMAP) and the Magna Carta for Workers Alliance (MAGCAISA) both expressed their support during the committee hearing on Aquino’s Senate Bill No. 2777 or the Marginal Income Earners (MIE) bill.
 
Representatives from both TMAP and MAGCAISA said the passage of Aquino’s measure would help unburden poor Filipinos, which is composed mainly of farmers, fishermen, tricycle drivers, small sari-sari storeowners and other micro-entrepreneurs.
 
Aside from throwing support behind the MIE bill, TMAP president Rina Manuel also called for the simplification of tax filings and processes for individuals and businesses.
 
MAGCAISA Steering Committee representative Elizabeth Angsiaco, for her part, batted for the expansion of the bill to cover all MIEs.
 
After the hearing, Aquino welcomed the snowball of support for his bill, saying the government should not take way the little income that poor Filipinos earn from their livelihood.
 
“I consider it a great disservice to our countrymen if the government will take away what was left of their meager income,” Aquino said.
 
Aside from hampering its growth, Aquino stressed that poor Filipinos will be discouraged to enter the formal economy if they would be subjected to tight scrutiny by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
 
The senator noted that the number of registered MSMEs in the country – currently pegged at approximately 800,000 – has not grown in years.
 
“If we want to help them grow, we need to create an environment conducive for small businesses to thrive. We need to encourage those businesses in the informal economy to register and join the formal sector,” he added.
 
Aquino’s bill seeks to spare micro entrepreneurs, or self-employed individuals who earn not more than the minimum wage equivalent in their regions, from paying income tax, just like minimum wage earners.
 
The senator filed the measure after the Bureau of Internal Revenue released a memorandum circular – Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 7-2014 – compelling MIEs to pay income tax returns.
 
According to BIR’s circular, MIEs include agricultural growers/producers such as farmers and fishermen selling directly to consumers, small sari-sari stores, small carinderias or “turo-turos,” and drivers/operators of a single unit tricycle.

Spare the Poor, Pass the MIE Bill – Sen. Bam

Spare the poor.

Senator Bam Aquino made this pronouncement as he called for the swift passage of the Marginal Income Earners (MIE) bill, saying ‘it could be another landmark bill of this administration which is pro-poor and pro-business.’

 During the Senate Ways and Means committee hearing on the MIE bill, Aquino stressed the measure doesn’t affect the government’s revenue-collection efforts and, at the same time, eases the burden of millions of Filipinos.

“I’m hoping that we can move this forward,” said Aquino, adding that the Senate has already reached out to its House counterpart to look into the MIE Bill.

Aquino filed Senate Bill 2227 which seeks to exempt MIEs such as farmers, fishermen, tricycle drivers, small sari-sari storeowners and other micro-entrepreneurs, from paying income tax

 Under Senate Bill 2227, Aquino said MIEs, or self-employed individuals who earn not more than the minimum wage equivalent in their regions, should be spared from paying income tax, just like minimum wage earners.

“The MIE bill basically exempts marginal income earners at the same level as the minimum wage earners,” said Aquino.

Aquino filed the bill after the Bureau of Internal Revenue released a memorandum circular — Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 7-2014 — compelling micro entrepreneurs to pay income tax returns.

According to BIR’s circular, MIEs include agricultural growers/producers such as farmers and fishermen selling directly to consumers, small sari-sari stores, small carinderias or “turo-turos,” and drivers/operators of a single unit tricycle.

 “Charging taxes does not help them in any way. Rather, it becomes a burden to a sector that is situated below the poverty line,” Aquino said.

 “Imposing income tax on our micro businessmen is tantamount to confiscating what little income they are able to make on a daily basis,” he added.

“This measure is just and fair and follows the constitutional provision of equal protection to all Filipinos.”

 

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