THE House of Representatives has approved on 2nd reading a measure exempting election servers such as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) from having their honoraria subjected to income and other withholding taxes, sponsored by House Ways and Means Chair Joey Sarte Salceda (Albay, 2nd district).
The House plenary approved House Bill No. 9652 that would provide income taxation exemption to compensation of BEIs and other election personnel, typically public school teachers for serving in the national and local elections.
The bill seeks to amend the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 to exclude election-related honoraria and allowances from the computation of gross income.
Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Luisa Lloren Cuaresma, another author of the bill, said the bill aims to allow teachers to fully enjoy the amount of compensation being paid to them and recognize their notable service even in hazardous environments during election seasons.
Salceda, tax committee chair, said the measure should be fast-tracked in time for the 2022 elections.
“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 said.
According to data from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), taxes withheld for the 2019 National and Local Elections amounted to PHP56.8 million.
“The cost is very reasonable, at around PHP56.8 million. It’s worth apprehending just one big-time tax evader. It’s an easy choice,” Salceda said.
Vaccines for poll workers also needed
“Compensating our poll workers well is also key to keeping the 2022 elections fair. They will be taking other risks due to COVID-19 so they also need to be given due protection,” Salceda said.
Salceda added that poll workers need to be vaccinated and given some form of additional benefits should they get sick due to COVID-19 during the polls.
“We will still probably have some degree of COVID-19 during the elections. Although I expect herd immunity to have been attained by then, protection doesn’t hurt,” Salceda said.
“They are democracy’s frontliners. Let’s pay them fairly and keep them safe.” Salceda concluded.