Italy’s Remittance Tax Hurts OFWs

BY PINOY OFW ON September 14, 2011 CATEGORIZED UNDER ITALY, MONEY REMITTANCE

Many Filipino workers in Italy have expressed disappointment with the recent imposition of a 2 per cent tax on money remittance sent by foreign migrant workers.

“Hindi ako pumapayag doon. Binabawasan na nga ang ating sweldo ng gubyerno ng Italya, ano pa matitira sa ating pera? Wala na,” said overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Adoracion Buhay.

The new tax measures are part of the Italian government’s bold austerity measures in an effort to fight back a stinging debt crisis that hounded eurozone’s third largest economy. Despite strong opposition from Italy’s largest labor group, a session in the Senate budget committee approved the 2 per cent tax on money remittance sent by foreign migrant workers through banks and other money transfer agencies.

“Magkano na lang ba ang natitira sa sweldo ng Pinoy plus padami ng padami ang tao dito, ang mga estranghero, padami ng padami nawawalan ng trabaho so bumababa yung salary in effect,” said another OFW, Dante Perez.
The new remittance tax is an additional burden to foreign workers who are already charged with hefty cable charges for money transfer transactions. Italy’s labor union group added that foreign workers should not be made to suffer because of the current economic problems of Italy.