Target lawyers, too, BIR told

I just saw the new Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) advertisement on the taxes paid by doctors in Cebu and Davao (A15, 3/12/14). It is really disheartening to learn that the ones who are paying the right taxes are the poor teachers. This is a national concern and should be rectified.

The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) claims that a lot of its members are working in the provinces and are paid in kind—“chickens and eggs”! This is contrary to Department of Health reports that we do not have enough doctors in the provinces. PMA would like to portray that the majority of doctors are altruistic individuals and are concerned for their kababayan. Some do care, but many don’t! To them I say,  stop the pretension and pay the proper taxes!

It scares me to think how lawyers are meeting their tax obligations. Would they claim, just like doctors, that most of their cases are pro bono?  The BIR should go after the lawyers next. The BIR, probably, can publish names so that it cannot be accused of targeting the  sector. Or better yet, publish their names vis-à-vis the teachers’ names with the tax amounts they paid most recently. It would be interesting to see how their pro bono high-profile criminal cases figure in their incomes. Hope it will not be another “chickens and eggs” claim.

—ALLAN ARELLANO,

teacher, [email protected]