Post by @karidadtheva

I recently came across a post from a fellow freelancer who was genuinely happy and proud because finally, registered na ang VA business niya. It was clearly a milestone for her. Pero pagtingin ko sa comments, instead na congratulations, may mga nangshi-shame pa sa kanya for registering and paying taxes. And that honestly bothered me. I understand why many VAs and freelancers are hesitant to register and pay taxes, especially with the back-to-back corruption issues and exposés we keep seeing. Gets ko. Nakakagalit naman talaga. And because of that, I’ve learned not to impose my stance on registering and paying taxes on other people. But please. Huwag naman sanang umabot sa point na sini-shame na natin yung mga taong proud na finally legal and registered na ang freelancing business nila. I’ve seen comments along the lines of: “Bakit kayo nagbabayad? Mapupunta lang din naman sa mga corrupt.” “Ew, nag-contribute ka na naman sa mga buwaya.” And one argument that particularly bothers me: “Nagbabayad naman na kami. May VAT naman lahat ng binibili natin.” Please understand that VAT, income tax, percentage tax, and withholding taxes are different types of taxes. Paying VAT when you purchase goods and services does not automatically mean you’ve fulfilled whatever tax obligations may apply to you as a self-employed professional or business owner. Yes, we can be angry about corruption. We SHOULD demand accountability for how our taxes and public funds are being used. Pero corruption does not suddenly make business registration and tax compliance something to be embarrassed about. If you’re earning through a business or professional practice, may laws and regulations that govern how you operate. And compliance isn’t always something people do because they want to. For many, they comply because they HAVE TO. And this is where I find it especially unfair. Ang daming freelancers na gumagastos ng oras, pera, at effort just to do things properly. Nagpaparegister, nagfa-file, nagbabayad ng applicable taxes, nag-aayos ng books and requirements, and makes sure compliant ang business nila. Tapos yung non-compliance, parang ginagawa pang life hack, achievement, or badge of honor. Parang mas nakaka-proud pang sabihin na: “Ako nga hindi registered, okay naman.” “Sayang lang binabayad niyo sa tax.” Hindi naman dapat ganun. You don’t want to register? That’s your decision and your responsibility. You don’t want to pay the taxes legally required from you? Again, you will be responsible for the consequences of that decision. But please don’t shame the people who choose to comply. And especially, huwag nating i-flex, ipaglandakan, or i-encourage sa ibang freelancers na huwag na lang mag-register or magbayad ng taxes na legally required from them. You can hate corruption and demand better from the government while still recognizing your own responsibilities. Those two things can exist at the same time. Tax compliance is NOT an endorsement of corruption. It’s part of operating legally. So no, paying the appropriate taxes as a VA/freelancer is not the embarrassing part. And deliberately not complying with your legal obligations is certainly not something we should be flexing either #karidadtheva #virtualassistant #howtobeavirtualassistant #bookkeeping #accounting