B.I.R. and Online Shopping

Hello fellow online shoppers and online shopping enthusiasts. Allow me to inform you that B.I.R. will start collecting taxes on individuals and businesses selling products online as part of their AGGRESSIVE efforts to meet collection goal and boost government revenues. It doesn't matter if there is already a tax on shipping, handling, and if your product is from abroad there is also a tax imposed by Customs.

Personally, I have no problem with paying the right amount of taxes but knowing that BIG BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY RUN BY OLIGARCHS, most often employ unscrupulous tax evasion practices and MANY BIG BUSINESSMEN do not pay proper taxes, this move by B.I.R. really irks me. You see, many online sellers that I know got into the business in the first place so they can look for ways and means to help augment their small incomes. Many people who work in companies almost pay up to four digits worth of taxes every pay check. Often what is left at the end of each pay period is barely enough to cover basic needs.

Now, paying taxes in itself is good as the money can be used to fund government projects that should benefit us all, most especially the hard-working tax-payer. But that is NOT the case in the Philippines, is it? The current Napoles pork barrel exposés flooding our airwaves right now is just a tip of the iceberg amidst all the graft and corruption happening in this country of ours.

Most government-run establishments that give services are disorderly, under-funded, mediocre, and inefficient. A good example would be schools. Most parents scrape every peso they earn so they can send their kids to private schools here. Many of us would not even dream of sending our kids to public schools because we know and see that it is over-crowded, lack proper facilities, and the overall atmosphere is not conducive to learning. These establishments are in this dismal state because our taxes are used instead to fund the lavish lifestyles of our politicians and their spawns. They have exuberant parties with their ostensible displays of wealth. They travel abroad and live the lifestyle of the rich and famous, rubbing shoulders with international celebrities. They blog and post pictures of their latest designer acquisitions. Things that only we can dream of.

In other words, they live this way because YOU and I are funding all these. Our tax money is collected, distributed by government to our politicians, and are no longer properly accounted for.

You, online seller, staying up late to update your Facebook page with pictures of your modest merchandise and hoping you can dispose of a few items that will help augment your income will now need to contribute to all this.

It wouldn't be so bad if you know your tax money is spent on the real problems of this country of ours. But that is not the case.