Pinoys in US-territory get extra tax rebate

DANDAN, Saipan – Taxpaying Filipinos in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) received anywhere from $300 to $600 in extra tax rebates as part of the US government’s $168 billion economic stimulus package.

The first batch of checks – some 11,000 – was mailed to CNMI residents and foreign workers on Friday. The remaining checks will be issued in the succeeding weeks.

President George Bush approved the economic stimulus package in February, hoping the extra spending money will jump-start the US economy when citizens spend on American goods. In the US mainland, the checks were mailed in early May.

The US Department of Treasury allocated roughly $16.1 million in economic stimulus payments for taxpayers in the CNMI, a US territory where over 10,000 Filipinos and Filipino-Americans live and work.

Many of the Filipinos in the CNMI interviewed by GMANews.TV said they immediately cashed their checks to remit to their families in the Philippines, buy groceries and pay their bills, among other things.

“I’m thankful because it’s an unexpected money…It’s like money from the wind," according to Ligaya Almodiel, a skin care specialist and manager at K’s International Beauty Centre.

Almodiel, from Marikina, remitted her $300 check to her three children in the Philippines to help with their tuition. Most classes in the Philippines start this month.

Her business also saw increased activity as customers use extra money from the economic stimulus package to pamper themselves by having facial care, hair cut or hair rebond.

Olive Yana, an accountant from Cagayan de Oro, said she will use $250 of her $300 tax rebate to pay portion of their $600 power bills. She also treated her three nephews to pizza immediately after receiving her check.

Elena Federico, 40, said she’s happy to receive on Monday $300 in tax-free ‘stimulus’ rebate which she will also remit to her family this week.

“One of my children is enrolling in college this month and the money I received will help in paying tuition,"she said. Federico, from Pasig, came to Saipan five years ago to work as an accountant.

Maida Galang, from Nueva Ecijca, said she bought a new blouse as “gift" to herself, but most of her $300 tax rebate check went to her child’s tuition in the Philippines.

“It’s a big help," said the 33-year-old counter attendant.

Others went on shopping frenzy. Since the issuance of checks on Friday, there have been long lines in grocery stores, with shoppers using their actual rebate checks to pay for the items they bought. Some also saved their money for off-island trips.

However, a few days after the release of the first batch of checks, gasoline prices are set to go up again, breaching the $5 per gallon-mark Thursday (today).

This worries Filipino contract workers in the CNMI, especially those earning only the minimum wage of $4.05 an hour.

Workers who filed their 2007 income tax return qualify to receive anywhere between $300 and $600 in extra tax rebate depending on their earnings.

Those who earned at least $3,000 in 2007 are guaranteed to receive at least $300 in tax rebate.

Workers with higher income receive the maximum rebate of $600. Families with children will get $300 per child.

Other taxpayers, however, were disappointed to receive notice of deficiency instead of checks from the CNMI Division Revenue and Taxation.

Iryn Bassig, an accountant from Cagayan Valley, said she has yet to provide additional data requested by the Division of Revenue and Taxation, including her date of first arrival in the CNMI.

She said she is expecting $300, which she would use to fix the exterior of her car.

Many others are also falling in line at the Division of Revenue and Taxation to file their income tax returns and correct deficiencies, hoping to receive the windfall from the U.S. government. - GMANews.TV

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