The DOF’s estimates of personal income tax gains for the poorest Filipinos erroneously assumes that the poorest Filipinos currently pay income tax.
This is untrue because the BIR’s records indicate only some 5.6 million taxpayers at present who are wholly from the highest income brackets.
The poorest Filipinos do not pay income tax now so, contrary to the DOF’s claims, they have nothing to gain from the income tax reforms. They will however pay an additional Php47.0 billion in additional VAT, petroleum, and sweet beverages taxes. This does not include further inflationary effects.
