I will be a tax-paying Pinoy again.
For almost 10 years now, I have worked for the United Nations. Being a UN civil servant, I do not pay taxes nor enjoy social security services. (But we do have what we jokingly call "UN tax", a big portion of our salary that goes back to UN)
But, now that I am moving to a new post at an office that answers to Philippine employment laws and policies, I am trying to get acquainted anew with TINs and SSSs.
Getting a new SSS identification card is a sordid tale to tell. You see, I lost my old card and had to get a new one. I went to an SSS branch in Marikina. I waited for my turn for almost an hour and was told that I had to go to the main office on East Avenue, QC. I became customer 1009 at the main office and when I joined the queu, the prompter was calling out customers 700 to 704. I had to wait in line just to get verified if I am a member at all. And after waiting for almost two hours, I was sent away to their legal office to get an affidavit of loss. But lo and behold, I was told to present a community tax certificate or cedula. So drive I did back to Marikina City Hall for my cedula. Along the way, I dropped by your typical fly-by-night notary stalls and "was sworn into statement" that I lost my ID during Ondoy.
I had the smarts to check my luck at the SSS Marikina branch again. It was already 4 pm. I made it to the cashier's line and paid the fine for losing my card (or getting a new one). I submitted my documents again and was finally "verified" as indeed an SSS member. But I was told once again to go back to the main office to get "captured". Their term for getting a photo taken.
I went back to the main office the next day. I did not have to wait in line this time. My time at the main office was short but not sweet at all. I was told once again to come back some other time because photo capturing has a schedule and mine is still two weeks away.
I also tried my luck at the Bureau of Internal Revenue. I needed to get a new card for my tax identification number. I went to the main office in Quezon City. I got my reference number but was told to go to Makati where I originally filed my application. Dutifully, I went to Makati and waited for only 30 minutes to get an identification card.
This got me thinking. Why does it take forever to get an SSS card? And a jiffy for a TIN card? When I pay my SSS dues, I pay for my later use. When I pay my tax dues, I pay for everybody's use. I really don't mind paying but enduring again the long queus will take some getting-used-to.
And that's the price to pay for being a tax-paying Pinoy.
For almost 10 years now, I have worked for the United Nations. Being a UN civil servant, I do not pay taxes nor enjoy social security services. (But we do have what we jokingly call "UN tax", a big portion of our salary that goes back to UN)
But, now that I am moving to a new post at an office that answers to Philippine employment laws and policies, I am trying to get acquainted anew with TINs and SSSs.
Getting a new SSS identification card is a sordid tale to tell. You see, I lost my old card and had to get a new one. I went to an SSS branch in Marikina. I waited for my turn for almost an hour and was told that I had to go to the main office on East Avenue, QC. I became customer 1009 at the main office and when I joined the queu, the prompter was calling out customers 700 to 704. I had to wait in line just to get verified if I am a member at all. And after waiting for almost two hours, I was sent away to their legal office to get an affidavit of loss. But lo and behold, I was told to present a community tax certificate or cedula. So drive I did back to Marikina City Hall for my cedula. Along the way, I dropped by your typical fly-by-night notary stalls and "was sworn into statement" that I lost my ID during Ondoy.
I had the smarts to check my luck at the SSS Marikina branch again. It was already 4 pm. I made it to the cashier's line and paid the fine for losing my card (or getting a new one). I submitted my documents again and was finally "verified" as indeed an SSS member. But I was told once again to go back to the main office to get "captured". Their term for getting a photo taken.
I went back to the main office the next day. I did not have to wait in line this time. My time at the main office was short but not sweet at all. I was told once again to come back some other time because photo capturing has a schedule and mine is still two weeks away.
I also tried my luck at the Bureau of Internal Revenue. I needed to get a new card for my tax identification number. I went to the main office in Quezon City. I got my reference number but was told to go to Makati where I originally filed my application. Dutifully, I went to Makati and waited for only 30 minutes to get an identification card.
This got me thinking. Why does it take forever to get an SSS card? And a jiffy for a TIN card? When I pay my SSS dues, I pay for my later use. When I pay my tax dues, I pay for everybody's use. I really don't mind paying but enduring again the long queus will take some getting-used-to.
And that's the price to pay for being a tax-paying Pinoy.
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