‘First time’: Teachers’ group rues 20% tax levied on #Halalan2022 worker pay

MANILA — A teachers' group said Saturday that a 20 percent tax on the salary of election workers, mostly teachers, in the May 9 presidential elections will be imposed "for the first time."

"Itong P10,000 for the chair of the Electoral Board and P9,000 for the members ay mababawasan ito ng 20 percent tax for the first time," said Benjo Basas, chairperson of the Teachers' Dignity Coalition.

His group and other teachers had protested this tax, but the finance department and the Bureau of Internal Revenue said this was the law.

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But the Commission on Elections (Comelec) granted at least a P2,000 increase in the honoraria and other allowances of election workers, with the 2022 elections expected to take longer hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Comelec-approved honoraria of 2022 poll workers:

• Chairperson of EB - P7,000
• Members of EB - P6,000
• DESO - P5,000
• Support staff - P3,000
• Medical personnel - P3,000

Basas said the Election Service Reform Act of 2016 should have declared a tax exemption on the salary of poll workers.

A Comelec commissioner had supported the request of teachers serving in the elections but said that it was not for the agency to decide.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES