Of Taxes and Anchovies

I am pissed off. Really pissed off.

I received a text message from my accountant, asking if I filed my ITR for 2008. She is in the process of registering my clinics. Without skipping a beat, I said I didn’t because I had been in training for the past four years with no pay. What she said next annoyed me to the max. She asked whether I didn’t practice during that time. What irked me the most was that it seemed like she herself doubted whether I really did not. Like she couldn’t and wouldn’t believe it. Is this the first time she’s met someone who’s had to train for many years before finally being able to start practice? I wonder.

For the past 6 weeks, I have been doing my best effort to get an accountant who can register me so I can have my receipts already. I had to give up on the first because apparently he was too busy and took days before he returning my text messages/calls. (He was a CPA/lawyer). Finally, I was referred to this one, a very nice lady, soft-spoken and efficient. But she doubted me and I’m pissed.

After years of toiling with no benefits, and working long hours, caring for poor patients with no decent wage, I get accused of tax evasion?! Ako ang mandaraya? C’mon! All I really want and need is to get those darn receipts and start my paying taxes already. Kaya wala tayong asenso. Instead of running after the big sharks (and there’s lots of them), people waste their time fussing over tiny anchovies like me.

But now that I think about it, can I blame her? Pag naglipana ang mga magnanakaw at mandaraya, ang hindi gumagawa ng masama ang nagmumukhang suspechoso. People are jaded. Siguro sa dami ng mga negosyo-slash-doktor-slash-establismyento na dala-dalawa ang libro e nagmumukha nang norm. Bwiset talaga. How do I prove to her/them na wala talaga akong trabaho at pinapagkakitaan noon? Na for the past so many years ay palamunin ako ng butihin kong asawa (actually hanggang ngayon). Dapat bang idineclare ko ang kakarampot na stipend na pinaghirapang ipamalimos ng mga boss para sa amin mula sa mga drug company? Karampot na stipend na inaabot ng 4 hanggang 8 buwan bago namin makuha? Stipend yun e, sabi ng mga kasama ko, therefore tax-free. Pathetic. Grrr...