Ah, payment of taxes…I know, it can be a pain in the butt for some businesses and self-employed individuals. But as a law-abiding Filipino receiving an income, it is our duty to file our due income tax.
Are freelancers required to pay taxes? This is one of the questions I had in mind when I first dived into freelancing. To answer the question, yes you are required to pay taxes whether you’re a part-time or a fulltime freelancer.
But as what I’ve observed, most freelancers have been enjoying a tax-free income mostly because they are not aware that it is required or they know it but they intentionally not see it as an obligation.
Even if we don’t trust our government officials, we need to register our self as a self-employed professional and also to file our taxes. Taxes are an essential part of our country’s economy development. Our taxes make up the budget that the government uses for education, public health, infrastructure , etc. It is the lifeblood of the government employees, public school teachers, soldiers, police, and others.
For an employee, it’s easy to apply for bank loans, credit card and visa. But for freelancers, entrepreneurs, self-employed professionals, the best way to show your proof of income is your income tax returns.
Below are the important dates to remember to file your income tax:
- Every January 30 of the year — Payment of annual registration fee
- April 15— Annual income tax of the previous year
- May 15–1st quarter income tax
- August 15–2nd quarter income tax
- November 15–3rd quarter income tax
If you are an employee, you wouldn’t have to worry filing your income tax because human resources department of your company can do that for you. But if you are self-employed or freelancer, you would have to do the filing yourself.
You can accomplish your tax duties more conveniently by doing it online which you can do so by using Taxumo, an online tax compliance platform in the Philippines – helping freelancers, self-employed professionals, and business owners file and pay for their taxes conveniently. They have a monthly plan for self employed individuals, professionals, and sole proprietors which starts at ₱700 per month.
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