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MANILA, Philippines — The Senate version of a bill to exempt poll workers’ honoraria and other bonuses from income tax was passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The House endorsed Senate Bill 2530 as an amendment to House Bill 9652 during the plenary session, allowing the bill to be sent to Malacanang for President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s signature.

The ratification of the Senate version by the House would eliminate the need for a bicameral conference committee in Congress.

Honoraria, allowances, and other financial advantages awarded by the Commission on Elections to persons giving service during an election period are proposed to be exempt from income taxation.

With an annualized revenue cost of just PHP138.6 million, House Ways and Means Committee Chair Joey Salceda said it is “quite reasonable” to provide a few exemptions for poll workers “given the job well done.”

“This was the fastest national election count ever,” he remarked, “and the election workers deserve a lot of credit for the smooth and reasonably safe conduct of the polls.”

He expressed the expectation that Duterte will “quickly act” on the problem, removing the necessity for withholding taxes from the compensation.

“By the end of the week, I expect this to be on PRRD’s desk. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to our poll workers “Salceda explained.

Pia Cayetano, the chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, noted that in the past, election honoraria and allowances were not taxed.

Cayetano, on the other hand, pointed out that the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) had declared that such pay should be taxed and, as a result, withheld.

She went on to say that in the 2022 elections, the BIR issued another ruling, stating that because election duties are not a part of a teacher’s job, the previous 5% professional fee withholding tax would no longer apply, making election honoraria and allowances subject to a 20% withholding tax on compensation.

“They will only receive roughly PHP3,600 to PHP9,600 for the services they gave during the 2022 elections due to the introduction of the 20% withholding tax,” she claimed.

She described the move as a “little show of appreciation to our teachers and non-teaching professionals” for the services they provide, noting that elections are a once-in-a-lifetime event.

“Teachers, in addition to performing the noble work of educating the youth, play an important part in elections. They are required to man polling stations in order to defend the sanctity of every ballot and ensure that elections are conducted in a calm and orderly manner “she stated

“Ang hiling ng ating mga guro at ng iba pang nagbibigay ng serbisyo tuwing eleksyon, huwag na silang buwisan dahil napakabigat na ng trabahong kanilang ginagampanan,” she continued.

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