Honoraria for teachers serving as election workers will be tax-exempt — Comelec

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) said Thursday that teachers working as poll workers during the May 13 elections will be exempt from paying taxes if they qualify under a certain income category and file an affidavit attesting to their exempt status under the law.

The Comelec said in a statement: “(N)o taxes shall be withheld from public school teachers serving as members of the Electoral Boards (EBs) provided they execute, and file with the Comelec, the prescribed sworn declaration of having an annual income (under the) threshold of P250,000.00.”

In Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Ruling 759 series of 2018, employees whose annual income is under P250,000 do not need to pay income tax on their honoraria. Exemption will be granted to teachers if they file a sworn statement before the Comelec that their income does not exceed that threshold.

“The Comelec assures the public of its readiness to assist tax-exempt poll workers in their compliance with this BIR requirement. For this purpose, Comelec Disbursing Officers have been deputized as Administering Officers in the execution and filing of the Sworn Declaration/Affidavit,” it said.

Public school teachers will be receiving the following fees for their services this elections: P6,000 for Election Board (EB) Chairpersons; P5,000 for EB Members; P4,000 for Department of Education Supervising Officers (DESO); and P2, 000 for DESO support staff. On top of their honoraria, they will receive a P1,000 transport fee. — Gillian M. Cortez