I don’t like paying taxes but…

While I am aware that taxes are the lifeblood of the government, without which government services would be paralyzed for the lack of funds to support its projects, I have to be outright and blunt about it: I don’t like paying taxes!

The annals of history are replete with instances where taxes have been used as a tool of oppression rather than for the alleviation of social woes. As early as the Roman conquest of Germania, taxes in the form of tributes were exacted from colonies at an atrocious rate, sometimes leaving whole communities to starve to death. The notoriety of taxes was even romanticized in classical literature such as “Robin Hood,” and biblical passages saw tax collectors as an evil lot.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and we seem to have veered away from this notion of taxes. Or have we?

Seeing how ineffective, and sadly, discriminatory, the implementation of our tax laws has become, one must wonder whether we are keeping true to the constitutional mandate of a progressive system of taxation, or are headed in the opposite direction. While the law provides for ideal measures, such as the imposition of taxes based on one’s ability to pay, its implementation is nothing short of comical, appearing to favor particular classes over others.

Assessments and tax-related procedures have been applied strictly against the ordinary Filipino. They have been made to pay penalties, their properties foreclosed, and others even made to face imprisonment for evading the payment of taxes assessed against them. And then, we have people on the other side of the spectrum who are allowed to get away scot-free, with the nonpayment of taxes sometimes reaching an amount worth P203 billion, as the strict implementation of tax laws are, sadly, not enforced against them for reasons only you and I could guess. The implementors of the law afforded leniency that is not warranted under the principles of justice and fair play. It is very disappointing and downright egregious to know that the right amount of taxes are withheld from the measly salaries of government employees and regular laborers, while others who have better capacities to pay do not comply with the same obligation.

Another reason would be the misuse of our taxes; the anomalies in connection with government spending. For instance, when the intelligence funds of law enforcement were increased, we hoped that law enforcement operations would be a notch higher, especially in the realm of efficiency and effectivity in the identification of criminal activities. But when we see on the news things like the Philippine National Police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency “misencounter,” which cost the lives of several government operatives, one would really scratch their heads in bewilderment and ask, “What intelligence fund?”

More recently, we have the issue involving the mishandling of pandemic funds by no less than the Department of Health, where medical supplies and other assets were bought at overpriced rates; medicines worth billions of pesos ended up expiring because of overstocking; and contracts also worth billions were entered into with questionable institutions that had insufficient capitalization to cover the costs of such projects, like Pharmally.

Part of the amount used to pay for these was from our taxes. Part of it was covered by loans, and it would again be our taxes that would pay for those. It is disturbing, seeing how blatantly inefficient the agency was in handling the funds entrusted to them. It was as if no regard was made as to the source of these funds; as if no respect was made to the people who deserve an adequate return on the taxes they paid.

It has, therefore, become discouraging and disappointing to have to pay the right amount of taxes to support the government, seeing all the things we have seen in relation to the utilization of taxpayer money. But despite my disfavor for paying taxes, I still believe, in all honesty, that paying the right tax is an indication of one’s love for the country. I will not deprive this country, we so dearly love, of my share in its development. What happens to me and my fellow taxpayers’ hard-earned money falls on the shoulders of those in the seat of power, whether appointed or elected, but most especially the elected. Make no mistake, we are watching, and we are going to hold you to account.

I don’t like paying taxes, but I pay them with all honesty and with no corners being cut. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes of the United States Supreme Court said it best: “Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society.” And I will pay every single penny to see this come to fruition.

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Inna Cumagun, 28, is a certified public accountant and a graduate of Juris Doctor at Cagayan State University. She was a semifinalist in the 2018 ICRC IHL National Moot Court Competition and represented the Philippines in the Nuremberg Principles Academy International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition at Nuremberg, Germany, in 2019. Her team was among the Top 8 worldwide.