Ipinasa ng House committee on senior citizens ang panukalang batas na naglalayong ma-exempt ang mga nakatatanda o senior citizens sa pagbabayad ng buwis.
Sa isang online meeting, inaprubahan ng komite ang HB 8832 (Income Tax Exemption for Senior Citizens Act) na nag-aamyenda sa National Internal Revenue Code of 1997.
Sa ilalim ng panukala, ang mga nakatatanda o senior citizens na 60 ang gulang pataas na nagtatrabaho pa, ay exempted sa pagbabayad ng income tax.
Itinatakda sa HB 8832 na saklaw din ng tax exemption ang holiday pay, overtime pay, night shift differential pay, at hazard pay.
“Unfortunately, Filipino retirees were found to have limited savings for their retirement. According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Filipinos have only 3.6 months’ worth of income for retirement,” ayon kay Senior Citizens Party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes, na may akda ng panukala.
“Meanwhile, the average savings of a Filipino family is only P52,000 per year. Thus it is almost impossible for our senior citizens to comfortably retire today,” ayon sa kongresista.
Bert de Guzman