Comelec plans to tax social media influencers hired to endorse candidates in May 2025 elections

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is planning to collect taxes from social media users who will be hired to endorse a candidate in the upcoming national and local elections in May 2025. 

Comelec chairman George Garcia said on Wednesday, July 17 that they are looking at collaborating with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to collect taxes from social media influencers who will do election-related work.  

“Gusto natin makipagtie up sa BIR na 'yong mga influencers dapat ma-tax nila,” Garcia said, noting how influencers are not required to pay taxes despite being paid well for endorsing candidates.

“Ibig sabihin may parte tayo, may aspeto tayo sa pangangampanya na hindi pa lang nako-cover ng taxation. Parang mali yon,” he added. 

According to the poll chief, entertainers are also included in taxation for performing during campaign sorties or endorsing candidates.

Apart from social media influencers, Garcia added that they are planning to release the guidelines for regulating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and social media during the campaign for next year’s elections, stressing that it could be abused by candidates and political parties if not regulated.

The poll body has also met with political parties and other stakeholders for consultation on the issuance of guidelines regulating AI and social media during the campaign, which they plan to issue by the second week of August to be tested long before the start of the campaign period.

In line with this, they also plan to make an agreement with different social media platforms for the intensified implementation of the new guidelines. 

However, he admitted that the legality of the guidelines could be questioned before the court. 

In the meantime, Garcia said that those vying for national and local posts may still use social media since they are not yet considered candidates until the start of the election period. (With reports from Mayen Jaymalin)