Tax break for lawyers offering free services urged
SENATOR Manuel “Lito” Lapid said it is high time for lawyers to be given a tax deduction for free legal services to poor Filipinos.
Lapid who eagerly awaits the promulgation of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for Rep. Act. no. 9999, or the “Free Legal Assistance Act of 2010” granting lawyers tax deductions for giving legal services to those clients who cannot afford to pay said, “kailangan po ng katarungan ng sinuman mamamayan at ang kanilang tulong ay dapat natin suklian.”
According to Lapid, Republic Act No. 9999, otherwise known as the Free Legal Assistance Act, was signed into law during the term of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2010 but however remains unimplemented.
“12 years since the law was signed, the law is still unimplemented primarily because the Bureau of Internal Revenue [BIR] has yet to promulgate the necessary implementing rules and regulations. The law provides that it should be issued 90 days from the date of its effectivity,” Lapid said.
“Layunin ng batas na ito na makapagbigay ng libreng serbisyong legal sa ating mga kababayan na lubos na nangangailangan nito. Kaya naman mahalagang maipatupad ang batas na ito sa lalong madaling panahon,” he added.
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