Should Churches Pay Taxes?

Well, to burst your bubble, churches DO pay taxes.

Under Section 4(3), Article XIV of the Constitution, it is stated that charitable institutions, churches and parsonages or convents appurtenant thereto, mosques, non-profit cemeteries, and all lands, buildings, and improvements, actually, directly and exclusively used for religious, charitable, or educational purposes shall be exempt from taxation.

It also states that;

“(3) All revenues and assets of non-stock, non-profit educational institutions used actually, directly, and exclusively for educational purposes shall be exempt from taxes and duties.”

However, that doesn’t mean that non-stock, non-profit organizations like the churches are absolutely exempted from taxes. Continue reading Should Churches Pay Taxes?

Music Is Your Talent. Ask For Payment.

I hear fellow musicians and artists say, “Okay lang walang bayad, basta maka-perform, basta may exposure” after performing in some big “benefit” concerts. Sounds cool. But not when you found out that the bouncers and even technical assistants got hefty “talent fees” and the musicians did not.

I’ve been to a lot of music festival and events, big and small. Paid and unpaid. And I saw a lot of homegrown talents from drummers to guitarists to bassists to keyboardists to wind instrumentalists to back-up singers to lead vocalists…to band managers and organizers.

Which makes me want to ask this question: Are talented musicians supposed to be asked to play for free or for a fee? Continue reading Music Is Your Talent. Ask For Payment.

The Hidden Costs of Buying A House or Condo

For most OFW’s (and Filipinos as a whole), owning a land or a house is like winning a championship trophy in a basketball game. In fact, that’s an understatement. For the working Filipino, it is an achievement and a dream-come-true to finally own a tangible “investment”.

But if you are someone who has just started working, being tempted to “invest” in a house or lot somewhere outside the Metro or in a condo unit somewhere at The Fort is rather inevitable.

You can not escape from the binoculars of real estate agents positioned strategically inside malls and commercial establishments. They can identify if you have been dreaming to have a house soon. They know if you’re an OFW or a newbie yuppie from Makati. Continue reading The Hidden Costs of Buying A House or Condo