The trouble with being a breadwinner nowadays is that the government is in for such a big slice.. –Mary McCoy
How many instances have we, as citizens of the Republic of the Philippines, quietly complained, deeply sighed, occasionally hissed out of exasperation and dismay to ourselves or to our accountants when income taxes are being filed and paid for? How many times have some of us muttered, “What am I paying this government a lot for?”
Is it imagined or real when there is a persistent resistance in letting go of something one has worked hard for and rightfully earned to a system and a government which are perceived to be mired with graft and corruption? Is it immoral to have a heavy heart when we should willingly and uncomplainingly divest ourselves of income earned and productivity compensated?
We pay taxes for the common good- the good of the Filipino people. Essentially, what good will our money do if it only serves the good of a few people, the depth of a few pockets, the accounts of a few Jose Velardes and Jose Pidals?
If Filipinos feel their money goes to productive endeavors and nation building tasks, such as infrastructure growth, healthcare improvements and agricultural productivity, the sense of financial loss is balanced (even satisfied) by the prospect of community gain and societal growth. But for many of us, the sense of loss is aggravated by the perception of absence of any foreseeable gain.
We derive relief and consolation from the expectation that our hard-earned money will be put to good use. In the Philippines, good use nearly borders on what dreams are made of. We dream of the cleanliness of Singapore’s streets and subways. We dream of substantial government subsidy for health care in the United States. We dream of the infrastructure and technological advancements in many progressive European countries.
Back here, we do not dream big. We just hope real. We just think realistic. We just crave for the basic. We just want clean toilets. We just want basic education. We just want to walk around safely in our communities. We just want floods controlled, garbage collected, roads repaired, traffic decongested, jobs created, crimes prevented or prices of commodities made affordable.
The injustice of this all is when leaders who are supposed to lead us to economic stability plunge us to near bankruptcy. Our leaders bring us closer to fiscal crisis and we have to bail them out of it. Our leaders keep on borrowing and we have to be diligent in our paying. Between our paying and the government appropriating and allocating, someone else is pocketing, extorting and cheating.
And so to generate more revenue and avert a fiscal crisis, the government has to collect more – from Juan dela Cruz, followed by Atty. Juan dela Cruz, Dr. Juan dela Cruz, Nurse Juan dela Cruz and the others –by way of value added tax (VAT), lifestyle checks, etc.
Paying taxes is both a duty and a sacrifice. Our propensity to resist is fueled by the greed of a few. Our desire to contribute to nation building is hampered by the mindless spending of others. How can we imbibe selflessness if what we witness is senselessness? How can we preach honesty when they practice deceit?
Will Rogers said it most appropriately: “People want just taxes more than they want lower taxes. They want to know that every man is paying his proportionate share according to his wealth.”
