Tax exemption for uniformed personnel as a token of appreciation

THE CHAIR of the House committee on labor and employment, Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, has appealed to the Bureau of Internal Revenue chief, Kim Henares, to waive the withholding tax on the provisional allowance given to military and uniformed personnel. He said that the BIR might have the discretion to forgo the same; after all, the allowance is provisional in nature. He is positive that this tax exemption will not encounter any legal complication even if it is not specified by Republic Act No. 9040.

I am very pleased that someone from Congress has finally taken the initiative to request this kind of tax exemption for the defenders of our country. If the BIR chief does have discretion over this matter, I hope she would see how it can boost the morale of our military and uniformed personnel. The amount of tax exemption is nothing compared to the service our military has been giving to our country.

What is it compared to their will and determination to keep our country a safe place to live in? What is it compared to the risks they face every day? What is it compared to the fears they choose to ignore? What is it compared to the worries their families back home experience while they are away? What is it compared to the anxieties about their making it home alive? What is it compared to the life that they are willing to lay down to defend and protect our motherland?

My point here is, in their profession, it is their life that is placed at stake. Wouldn’t it be great if we show gratitude through simple things like this?

In my opinion, they deserve more than the salary and benefits they get from government. This proposed exemption may not be exactly a big deal (in monetary value) but to them, it means a lot. By choosing to exempt their provisional allowance, the BIR will show them that they are appreciated.

We all know how hard it is to live in a country where salary is low but the cost of living is high.

—ANASTASIA KUZ, allforourmotherland@gmail.com