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Comelec to help teachers get tax-free honoraria

By Ferdinand Patinio

May 9, 2019, 7:37 pm

MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday assured public school teachers who will be serving as Electoral Board (EB) members in the May 13 mid-term polls that it will help them get their honoraria tax-free.

In a statement, the Comelec said it is ready to assist teachers in getting their payment in full after rendering poll duties without the supposed five percent tax deduction.

“The Comelec assures the public of its readiness to assist tax-exempt poll workers in their compliance with this BIR (Bureau of Internal) requirement,” it said.

The poll body is deputizing its disbursing officers as administering officers in the execution and filing of the sworn declaration/affidavit.

The required documentary stamp tax and the cost of reproducing the affidavit will also be shouldered by the Comelec.

Under BIR rules, no taxes shall be withheld from public school teachers serving as members of the EBs provided that they will execute and file with the Comelec the prescribed sworn declaration of having an annual income threshold of PHP250,000.

The Election Service Reform Act states that EB chairpersons are entitled to honoraria amounting to PHP6,000; EB members with PHP5,000; DepEd Supervising Officer (DESO) with PHP4,000; and DESO Support Staff with PHP2,000.

They will also be getting an additional travel allowance of PHP1,000 each.

There are approximately 255,000 teachers that will be serving for Monday's election.

The Comelec has allocated PHP3.2 billion to pay for the honoraria of EBs.

The teachers' main functions are to man voting precincts and assist voters during the elections. The poll duty rendered is not mandatory but voluntary. (PNA)

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