A BILL seeking to grant a tax holiday to the thousands of health workers helping in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has been filed at the House.
Under the proposed Health Workers’ Tax Holiday Act of 2020, the income of “qualified health workers” from March 15 to May 15 this year are excluded from income tax.
“These heroes are willingly putting themselves in harm’s way to safeguard public health. Thus, it is but right and just to reward them if only to show the nation’s gratitude and appreciation for their service,” said Quezon City Rep. Precious Castelo.
As of Wednesday, at least 1,550 healthcare workers are among the 8,212 confirmed COVID-19 cases, or almost 19 percent of those infected.
Castelo said qualified health workers are those “engaged in health and health-related work, and all persons employed in hospitals, health infirmaries, health centers, rural health units, barangay health stations, clinics, and other health-related establishments, whether public or private, and shall include medical, allied health professional, administrative and support personnel regardless of their employment status.”
The proposed law gives the secretary of finance the authority to extend the two-month period covered by tax relief by not more than three months depending on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recognizing the danger health workers are facing in the anti-Covid-19 war, Congress has also given medical frontliners a “special risk allowance” under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Law.
