No place for a good tax payer

I’m VAT registered. This means I am required to add the 12% VAT on any service I offer. I am also required by the Bureau of Internal Revenue to declare my Output and Input VAT regularly.

But this is not the reason why I demand Official Receipts from establishments. Rather, it’s because I am actually a good tax payer. Give to Caesar what is to Caesar … you know what I mean.

It’s been a rough ride though trying to wring out official receipts from establishments – my co-businessmen. Some establishments, albeit not following the rules, are easier to deal with. For example, I am a suki at Marks and Spencer in Shangri-la. Unfortunately, they also a habit of issuing me sales invoices instead of official receipts. However, whenever I ask me to issue an OR instead, they unhesitatingly give me one.

Just recently, I had a very unusual problem in my (now ex-) favorite shop: PC Express in Shaw Boulevard. Since I am in an IT business, we spend a lot of money on PC Express. I cannot count the number of motherboards, processors, casings, RAMs, and hard drives that we have bought from them.

As most PC Express fanatics probably know, they are not the type to issue official receipts. They would rather give you their standard Order Slip which you hand to the guy in the claims area. But they never gave me a hard time whenever I request for an OR. Until recently.

Last March 11, I ordered a motherboard in PC Express, handed my money to the cashier, and requested an official receipt. The cashier nodded, got a booklet, and handed me a piece of paper. I looked at it, and saw the words Sales invoice stamped on top.

“Madam, hindi po OR ito. Sales invoice lang po,” I said.

The girl replied: “Ito talaga ang binibigay namin sa customers.” I later found out her name was Katherine.

“Bawal kasi sa min. Kailangan OR lang ang tanggapin namin,” I explained. “Pwede pong humingi ng OR?”

“Kasi po nag-iissue lang kami ng OR pag services ang kinuha nyo. Hindi sa products,” Katherine said.

“Pinayagan kayo ng BIR sa sistema nyo?” I asked incredulously.

“Basta po ganun yung sistema namin,” she said.

She was unwilling to budge. This conversation actually went on for 20 freaking minutes.

Finally, she crisply said: “Kung gusto nyo ng OR, kailangan kayo tumawag sa director ng Accounting namin sa Head Office.”

I nodded my agreement. She wrote the number down on a slip of paper, which she handed to me.

She probably thought I will call the guy when I get home, because she got startled when I asked to use her phone. I called the so-called person in charge, someone named Boots. When Boots answered the phone, I simply explained that their cashier refuses to give me an OR.

Boots said “Binago po talaga naming ang sistema namin. Di na kami nag-iissue ng OR.”

I was tired, and lost all the courtesies, “Requirement po ng BIR and mag-issue kayo ng OR. Period.”

He requested me to hand the phone over to the cashier, Katherine. After they talked for a few seconds, she put down the phone, got a booklet from her desk, and issued me an OR.

Ayus.

Last March 18, I went to CD-R King in Cybermall, Eastwood City. I was prepared. Before I purchased anything, I asked the girl if they issue official receipts. She proudly showed me her booklet with the words Cash Invoice.

“Ito lang po talaga ang pinagamit sa min dito sa CD-R King,” she said.

Talaga naman …

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Comments

4 responses to “No place for a good tax payer”

  1. jazzbo Avatar
    jazzbo

    Good idea, Alvin! I think I\’ll do that laminated card thing.

  2. Tess Cordero Avatar
    Tess Cordero

    GANYAN TALAGA SA PILIPINAS! Reklamo na di kailangan taasan yung VAT kasi may kita naman daw ang gobyerno. Kaso pano naman kikita eh dinadaya naman nila mga benta nila! Di sila nagrereport ng tama kung magkano talaga benta nila! IReport dapat lahat yan sa BIR!

  3. nakikiramay ako sayo Ms. Chette…ganon din lagi ang eksena ko sa mga establishment na pinupuntahan ko…ayaw magsipagissue ng OR.. another reason (palusot na sinasabi nila..sir kelangan ko po ng TIN nyo or Kompanya nyo bago kami mag issue ng OR)..best is you prepare a laminated ID na nakalagay dun ang Co. name mo at TIN…(yan ang ginawa ko) Inaabot ko lang sa kanila ang laminated ID ko na nakalagay \”PLEASE ISSUE OFFICIAL RECEIPT(OR) with YOUR TIN NUMBER PRINTED on the RECEIPT\” in bold letter….

  4. Hey Chette.

    Yes, PC Express was correct. The BIR requires the issuance of an official receipt for the sale of services and an invoice for the sale of goods. You can ask your accountant / auditor about this.

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