Two Important Meetings I Had
I attended two (2) important meetings yesterday. The first was with an Internet café association (ICA) with some sixty (60) members in attendance out of a little over one hundred (100) total members. This is a reasonably good attendance considering that some ICAs, most of the time, fail to get even twenty (20%) of its members to attend meetings when there are no issues like anti-piracy raids prevailing at the time the meetings are called.
Another reason why I was amazed at the attendance in the ICA meeting was its agenda. It was about registering with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) with key people of the tax agency doing the presentation. I really wonder if the ICA members in attendance are interested to know how to fulfill their tax obligations. This is contrary to what many rogue café owners post in many web forums when the topic is at hand.
The BIR presentation left much to be desired. The presentor did not even say why the café owners must register with the agency and pay their taxes. All I heard were the forms to be used on various kinds of taxes that a café owner must pay and the penalties if they failed to comply with the filing of such forms and paying the taxes due.
When I asked the presentor about how much is the penalty for a café business caught operating without BIR registration, fifty thousand (PhP50,000.00) pesos was the reply. I did not asked if the attendee who is already operating his café and decide to register after the presentation will be assessed such amount of penalty. In any case, if you are caught with such violation, what will you do?
The second meeting that I attended was about a business opportunity that café owners may take and pursue for profit. It’s not simple and it’s not free but the chance to earn is high. As in any business, capital is needed and success will depend on how the owner will handle the venture. It’s about converting a café into a computer learning center legally and progressively. I shall blog on the details of the business venture later. Watch for it!
the first meeting doesn’t interest me since i voluntarily allow the BIR to rob me already. i say “rob” because, up to now, i still have to see the government create laws to safeguard or enhance the industry. all they’ve been doing is create laws in siphoning money out of hapless lanshop owners, while at the same time, make it harder for them to make a peso.
the second meeting you had, caught my interest much better. i always feel that when i teach, i also learn from those i taught. making a buck in the process is a bonus. ^^
They say there are only two (2) things that are certain to happen to those living in this world, tax and death. I say, the two are somewhat related. The government sometimes taxes its citizens to death. 🙂
Regarding the second meeting I attended, I will spell out the details in my upcoming blogs. I hope my readers find it interesting.