Taxes Galore

Now, my business permit has been renewed.

And yes, was very surprised when I saw the amount I needed to pay at our city treasurer’s office… a whopping Php 10,336. That excludes the fees for the membership to a city association for computer business owners, the community tax certificates (business and personal, the latter I then found out isn’t necessary at all in processing my renewal , toink!) and the barangay clearance for business. In totality, I spent more than Php 12,000 for my business to be called legal.

But through this entry I want to vent out. You see, I spoke to many business owners who like me are renewing their licenses for 2009. While waiting for my queue in the many stations where signatures of different city departments were required, I was asked twice as to how much I paid. Twice did I get the same reaction ~ I paid too much! Since they asked me I asked them their fees in return. One businesswoman, who owns a canteen in front of my former high school, paid only Php 5,000 for her fee while the other paid only Php 4,000 for a business I failed to ask what. I wouldn’t actually care if I didn’t ask the first businesswoman how much she’s earning for a day. On an average, she’s getting Php 6,000 ~ multiply by 20 days of a month (she’s open Monday to Friday) multiply again by 10 months (I excluded the summer vacation since she said she’s closed during these months). That is a huge Php 1,200,000! That of course is too high an earning for a business tax of only Php 5,000. Considering my tax bracket, her business tax should have been 4 times my own. Even if she’s paying 6 canteen workers plus her utilities plus her supplies replenishment, it was still unfair for me. Besides, these expenses are not supposed to be factored out in computing the business tax, it was really the gross annual sales that matters.

I can’t help but be in deep thoughts when I left our City Hall yesterday. My human nature also butted-in ~ was I really a fool for paying that twelve thousand pesos for a metal signage and a piece of oslo paper declaring my cyberlink a legal business entity? But easily, I found the answer ~ I wouldn’t trade the legality of my business for anything ~ my training at work where integrity is a core value and the way I was brought up by my parents were indeed major factors why I declared the whole truth as far as my business renewal is concerned. Besides, I believe in karma!

And ooh by the way, I got news that I am still tax due on my annual withholding tax by a considerable amount again! Hmmm, I am really crying now. And silently I am uttering my prayer that the taxes I am paying will go a long way. Calling the government… Grant me peace!