MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Finance (DOF) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) have released an infographic with data showing "ridiculously low tax payments" of self-employed professionals in Makati City.
The infographic, posted on the government's Official Gazette, revealed that one out of two self-employed professionals in Makati is paying less tax than a public school teacher.
According to the data released, 54 percent of 2,031 self-employed accountants, doctors and lawyers in four district offices of the BIR paid less than P35,000 in taxes in 2012.
Meanwhile, a public school teacher earning P21,500 monthly pays more tax of P35,952 every year.
The data further revealed that one of the 1,179 physicians paid only P10 in taxes while one out of 534 lawyers paid only P200.
Two accountants also paid only P138 and P120 in taxes, amounts that are lower than the minimum wage in Metro Manila.
The infographic is part of the Tax Watch campaign of the BIR and DOF, seeking to increase transparency on tax payments and to encourage people to be conscientious in paying the right taxes.