A Filipino migrant group based in the Middle East urged Monday the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to instruct remittance centers to stop charging documentary stamp taxes (DST) on the remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Migrante-Middle East said it has been receiving complaints about the continuous charging of DST imposed by the BIR despite it having been repealed already by the passage of Republic Act 10022, the amended version of the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.

“After the revised law’s publication, it is deemed implemented and that OFWs should now be exempted of the said tax,” Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said.

He cited Section 22 of the R.A.10022 which states, “The remittances of all overseas Filipino workers upon showing of the same proof of entitlement by the overseas Filipino worker’s beneficiary or recipient shall be exempt from payment of documentary stamp tax.”

He said OFWs complain of outlets of international money transfer companies that still maintain the charging DST even if respective beneficiaries have already presented to them proof of remittance.