Our hospitality industry, where it's heading!

 

By Philip Cu Unjieng

Published Jun 15, 2025 12:05 am

The HSMA, an association of hotel sales and marketing professionals, will be holding their third Sales and Marketing Summit this June 19, at the City of Dreams (COD) Grand Ballroom. Having attended the two previous iterations, I’m certain it will once again be an illuminating “snapshot” of our hotel industry – with speakers and panels discoursing on where the hospitality industry is headed, what improvements are needed, and what roadblocks still persist.

Entitled “Leading the Shift: Redefining Sales and Marketing for the Next Generation,” the media gathering held the other week was the HSMA’s teaser of what to expect, and why this emphasis on the next generation. Foremost in the mindset of the organizers was the recognition that the composition of the present HSMA Board are primarily filled with “veterans” and long-standing luminaries of the industry. While that is fine and good, the issue of succession, of enabling the next generation of leaders, has become a pressing concern. Plus, it is about making the Summit relevant to the younger HSMA members, who now make up the majority of the Association’s membership.

It’s about embracing innovation, and creating future-ready teams. It’s about seeking solutions from fresher minds, and new voices. The figures of our inbound foreign visitors for the first four months of 2025 remain sluggish, to say the least. We are tracking 2.1 million visitors for January to April. And to put it into perspective regionally, Vietnam had 7.6 million visitors for that same period, and Thailand 11.3 million. So you can’t pull out the “coming back from pandemic” excuse; and we have to face the reality that winning Best Dive Destination, Best Beach Destination, and all the awards we’ve collected over the years, have still not translated into a sudden upsurge in foreign visitors.

The visitors who come do spend when they’re here; and generally, are all praises for the Philippine experience. So I do hope the Summit will come up with an analysis, and some answers/solutions, on why we still get “trickles,” and what we should do to change that scenario. While one eye should be set on the long term, and most definitely include infrastructure issues and concerns; given the vital role tourism plays in our national development, some “quick fix” measures can be proposed and adapted. Otherwise, we’re looking at a hospitality industry and tourism sector that will remain too dependent on the domestic market, while we enviously cast our eyes at our ASEAN neighbors.

Nice to note that Manila Hotel’s Kim Tan is on a panel to be moderated by Jenny Santillan, HSMA Director of Programs, and Director of Sales & Marketing, City of Dreams.

Nice to note that Manila Hotel’s Kim Tan is on a panel to be moderated by Jenny Santillan, HSMA Director of Programs, and Director of Sales & Marketing, City of Dreams.

As it is, the one-day summit is packed with potentially illuminating dialogues and discussions. The Impact of Government Policies on the Hospitality Business is one such talk, and between the DOT, the DILG, the Department of Transportation, and even the DICT; it’s easy to observe that their policies impact on tourism and hospitality. Channel Management and Distribution Strategies should bring out experiential best practices, and how the Summit can act as a sounding board for adapting new strategies, and optimizing efficiencies in the industry.

Then there’s Revenue Optimization and AI Driven Marketing. This should be especially useful for those ready to embrace AI and technology, while appreciating how tenure, experience, and the human touch are still irreplaceable. There’s Leadership Development for the Next Generation of Professionals, and this echoes the growing concern about succession. Building Meaningful Industry Relationships that Drive Conversions is one broad topic, and would emphasize how the industry has to work as a community, and not so much as competitors. I’m sure Online Travel Agencies (OTA) will be called on as resource speakers; as globally, it’s impossible to ignore the reach and business generated by the OTAs.

“The HSMA Summit is where industry leaders and rising stars come together to shape the future of Philippine Tourism. The next generation of sales and marketing professionals must attend; not just to learn, but to lead. This summit gives them the tools, insights, and inspiration they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world,” says Loleth So, HSMA President, and Group Commercial Director of MEGAWORLD Hotels and Resorts.

Two other major activities of the HSMA each year are their September Online Sale, and the Virtus Awards. The Online Sale is a nationwide travel fair that’s popular for offering the best deals for accommodations. The Virtus Awards is the HSMA honoring their own, recognizing deserving individuals and stellar marketing campaigns.

Thursday, June 19 is the date; and there’s a discounted registration fee for HSMA members, while non-HSMA individuals can also attend. Just visit the HSMA official FB Page and Instagram account for details. It promises to be a lively discussion; with a ton of learnings offered up by those who are at the front line of the hospitality industry.

Happy Father’s Day!

Puregold's OPM Con 2025 is this year's destination music event

 

by Robert Requintina

Published Jun 13, 2025 01:54 pm

Puregold’s OPM Con 2025 is set to light up the Philippine Arena on July 5, generating global excitement as fans worldwide plan to witness this historic music festival live.

Concert enthusiasts are reportedly flying in from Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, while overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are also eager to come home.

The much-anticipated OPM Con is shaping up to be a lavish celebration and homecoming event all in one.Across the archipelago, there is a growing excitement related to the ongoing global attraction. Puregold stores in Butuan, Bacolod, and Leyte have reported early ticket sell-outs, with shoppers booking flights and long-distance bus rides to participate in this musical milestone. 

The Philippine Arena is anticipated to welcome not only fans but also a surge of local tourists eager for a large-scale concert experience.

“More than anything, we organized the Puregold OPM Con 2025 as a service for all our shoppers and music fans,” says Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, Puregold’s Senior Marketing Manager. “Expect a powerful lineup and heart-pounding performances. Whether you’re a stan for today’s hottest artists or grew up on classic OPM, join us as we make music history together.”

Regardless of how it unfolds, the extraordinary interest in Puregold’s retailtainment highlights its significant impact. The event embodies a blend of passion, tradition, and performance. 

With a lineup featuring some of the most iconic OPM artists today, OPM Con 2025 aims to make world-class entertainment accessible to all Filipinos. It’s not just a major music event of the year; it’s a celebration of our identity. As we count down to July, one thing is sure: the world is watching.

True love goes beyond common sense

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

THAT’S quite obvious if we would just consider these clear words of Christ. “I say to you not to resist evil: but if one strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him also the other. And if a man will contend with you in judgment, and take away your coat, let go your cloak also to him. And whoever will force you one mile, go with him other two. Give to him that asks of you and from that would borrow from you, turn him not away.” (Mt 5, 39-42)

We should train ourselves to live by this standard because this is what true love really is. It’s not just a matter of loving the lovable. The authenticity of our love is proven when it is given even, and most especially, to the unlovable. That’s what Christ himself has shown us with his passion and death on the cross to bear and conquer all our sins. He even went to the extent to offering forgiveness to those who crucified him.

            It’s in the very essence of love to give oneself without measure, without calculation, without expecting any return. It just gives and gives, even if along the way it encounters difficulties, rejection, suffering. It embraces them, not flee from them. By its nature, it is given gratuitously. 

Love engenders generosity and its relatives: magnanimity, magnificence, compassion, patience, pity, etc. This is the language of love, the currencies it uses. It thinks big, even if the matter involved is small according to human standards. In fact, it’s love that makes small, ordinary things big and special.  

That’s in theory. In practice, though, there can be elements that put limits and conditions to that love. This can be due to a number of reasons. One, because man grows by stages, and his capacity to love also develops in stages. It goes through a development timeline, much like one’s growth timeline from childhood to adulthood and maturity.      

      Thus, philosophers have distinguished more or less like 3 kinds or stages of love: “eros,” where one loves another because of what he can get from that other person. This usually happens among children who love others mainly because of what they can get in return from others. That’s very understandable.   

Then, there’s “filia,” where one loves another because he shares the same things—interests, likes and dislikes—with that person. This is typical of young boys and girls who happen to like sharing things among themselves.      

Then, there’s the final stage of “agape,” where one loves another because they just want to, without expecting any return, and continues to love even if that love is unreciprocated, or worse, rejected. This is the love of the truly mature persons, and definitely of heroes and saints.      

This kind of love definitely would require us to learn how to be magnanimous, enlarging our heart to make it more universal to accommodate everyone and any situation and condition properly. We have to see to it that our thoughts, desires and intentions, our words and deeds are always animated by charity. There should be no negative elements in them, even if we notice the defects, mistakes and sins of others, and even if they have wronged us.

For this, we need to have a good grip on our emotions, able to dominate and properly orient our biases, preferences and other idiosyncrasies that constitute our differences and even conflicts with the others.

We have to learn to focus more on what we have in common rather than on what divides. And what we all ultimately have in common is that we are all children of God, brothers and sisters of each other, meant to care and love each other.

Fight for affordable food; let's all break our backs

 

By Manila Bulletin

Published Jun 13, 2025 12:05 am

The country’s inflation dropped to a 66-month low in May. Unfortunately, food prices remain high.

This should be a cause for concern. We must bear in mind that in the heart of every Filipino home, the dining table holds more than the meals we take—it symbolizes dignity, aspirations, and the enduring hope for a better life.

But for millions today, especially those living on the fringes, that table is slowly emptying. The latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show that inflation has dropped but this macroeconomic victory is not being felt inside the kitchen and the dining area of the average Filipino. On the contrary, the PSA said food prices remain elevated, volatile, and unforgiving—especially for the very people who can least afford them.

Meat prices rose by a staggering 7.9 percent in May 2025, largely due to prohibitively expensive pork. Fish and other seafood, long a staple of Filipino diets, posted an inflation of 5.7 percent. Mind you, these are not mere statistics. They represent mothers who stretch meals thinner than ever before, workers skipping breakfast to make ends meet, and children consuming less nutritious food that affects their learning, growth, and future.

We are not just dealing with inflation. We are dealing with food insecurity, a silent creeping crisis that strikes hardest at the middle-income earners and the marginalized—the very people who form the backbone of our economy, our schools, our hospitals, and our cities.

The government cannot afford to be complacent.

Yes, it is commendable that inflation has been curbed in general. But unless policies directly target the cost of basic food items, the data means little to hungry stomachs. The government must act decisively and with compassion. Subsidies for local farmers must be ramped up. Price ceilings must be imposed at the earliest sign that hoarding or price manipulation occurs. Agricultural supply chains need radical reform. Logistics, storage, and distribution systems should be modernized to reduce wastage and middleman-driven markups.

Importation may offer temporary relief, but it cannot be the cornerstone of our food strategy. We must produce, protect, and empower local food systems. We need better crop insurance, smarter irrigation, and comprehensive training for farmers to shift to climate-resilient and high-yield practices.

But this fight does not rest on the shoulders of the government alone.

The private sector, particularly large agribusinesses and retailers, must view food affordability not just as a business variable, but as a moral obligation. Supermarkets and food corporations can play a crucial role by sourcing from local farmers, controlling excessive profit margins on basic goods, and investing in community-based agricultural programs. Retail chains and restaurant groups should embrace transparency and resist the temptation to exploit scarcity for gain.

Every Filipino, too, holds a piece of the solution. We must support local producers when possible, waste less food, and become more mindful consumers. Urban gardening, cooperative buying, and community-based food programs can offer grassroots solutions that multiply when adopted en masse.

This is both an economic issue and a national moral test. What kind of country are we if a mother working two jobs cannot afford a decent meal for her children? What future do we shape if our children are fed mere calories without nutrition?

Let us not be lulled by the macro numbers. Let us instead demand leadership that sees beyond charts to the faces of real families. Let the government act with urgency. Let the private sector lead with conscience. And let every Filipino stand not just as a consumer, but as a steward of a more just and nourished nation.

Because when food becomes unaffordable, freedom itself begins to starve.

Lady Blazers complete rare four-peat

 

At A Glance

College of Saint Benilde completed a rare four-peat after sweeping Colegio de San Juan de Letrán, 25-19, 25-22, 25-19, in Game 2 Finals of the NCAA Season 100 women's volleyball tournament at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City Wednesday, June 11.

(NCAA/GMA Images)

By Mark Rey Montejo

the Lady Blazers were a dominant force and won their fourth straight title and fifth overall at the expense of the Lady Knights.

The Arnold Laniog-guided Benilde essayed a 26-28, 26-24, 25-16, 25-19 Game 1 win against Letran with Zamantha Nolasco showing the way with 21 points.

Despite Nolasco being limited to a nine-point output in the title-clinching game, Cristy Ondangan and Clydel Catarig stepped up with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Shahanna Lleses added eight.

Mycah Go, for her part, added nine points in her final game as a Lady Blazer before her stint with the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, who picked her as 17th overall in this year’s Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Rookie Draft.

Letran’s super rookie Vanessa Sarie had 12 points, while Marie Nitura, sister of Adamson’s Shai, registered 11 in a losing cause.

It was a double whammy for Letran as its men’s team absorbed a 24-26, 25-21, 25-15, 25-17 loss to Arellano earlier.

The Chiefs put up a masterclass on both ends after a first-set stumble en route to their first crown since their debut 16 years ago.

Carl Berdal took the spotlight as he was named the Finals MVP after listing 16 points while Arman Guinto (17), Jiwen Sinuto (14), Anfernee Curamen (12), and Jake Pangilinan (10) provided the scoring support.

Eala topples Swiss rival, advances to quarters in Ilkley Open

 

Alex Eala barges into the quarterfinals of the Ilkley Open after clobbering her Swiss rival. (File Photo/Alex Eala Facebook)

By Kristel Satumbaga-Villar

Published Jun 12, 2025 07:32 pm

Alex Eala displayed her fiery form anew and outclassed Swiss qualifier Valentina Ryser, 6-1, 6-2, to barge into the quarterfinals of the Lexus Ilkley Open in Great Britain on Thursday, June 12.

Alex Eala barges into the quarterfinals of the Ilkley Open after clobbering her Swiss rival. (File Photo/Alex Eala Facebook)

Alex Eala barges into the quarterfinals of the Ilkley Open after clobbering her Swiss rival. (File Photo/Alex Eala Facebook)

Alex Eala displayed her fiery form anew and outclassed Swiss qualifier Valentina Ryser, 6-1, 6-2, to barge into the quarterfinals of the Lexus Ilkley Open in Great Britain on Thursday, June 12.

The top-seeded Eala directed the tempo throughout the 68-minute match to keep her campaign for a breakthrough Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title alive.

It was also Eala’s second win in her third meeting against Ryser, while also avenging her three-set loss in their last tussle in the W75 Trnava International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Slovakia just last March.

With the win, Eala set up a meeting with the winner between local bet Emily Appleton and Canadian eighth seed Rebecca Marino, who are playing at press time.

After a 1-all deadlock, Eala immediately went on full throttle and destroyed Ryser’s game by claiming the next five games for the set win.

The Swiss showed signs of life in the second frame after breaking Eala’s serve to tie the match at 2-all, but the Filipina ace was quick to regroup and broke back Ryser’s serve in the fifth game on her way to prevailing the match.

NAIA to deploy more immigration officers to ease queues

 

By Dexter Barro II

Published Jun 12, 2025 12:19 am

Government agencies overseeing Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have agreed to enhance the passenger experience, including the deployment of immigration personnel during peak hours at the country’s main gateway.

On Wednesday, June 11, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Bureau of Immigration (BI), and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) signed a memorandum of agreement to help ease the queues at the airport's immigration counters.

DOTr Undersecretary Giovanni Lopez said the agency has observed long queues in immigration processing, particularly during early morning hours, due to limited personnel staffing the counters.

The lack of personnel, he said, is driven by the budget constraints of the BI.

“Sa pamamagitan po ng MOA na ‘to, matitiyak natin na pagdating sa peak hours, may mga tatao na po sa ating mga immigration,” said Lopez in a media briefing.

(Through this MOA, we can ensure that during peak hours, there will be personnel stationed at our immigration counters.)

“Pangalawa po, umaasa tayo na matitiyak natin na itong mga tao na nagbibigay serbisyo ay mabibigayan ng karampatang suweldo in the form of overtime pay or honoraria,” he added.

(Secondly, we hope to ensure that these personnel will receive appropriate compensation in the form of overtime pay or honoraria.)

Under the agreement, the DOTr will authorize the allocation and disbursement of the Immigration Service Charge (ISC) for the BI.

This will kick in once additional immigration officers are designated to perform overtime duties not covered under this year’s national budget.

MIAA, the regulator of NAIA, will allocate a portion of its authorized collections to fund the ISC, either in the form of overtime or honoraria.

MIAA General Manager Eric Jose Ines said an estimated ₱5 million per month will be allocated for this undertaking.

However, he told reporters that a technical working group will still review this to determine the actual amount needed.

BI, meanwhile, will provide 24/7 immigration services with a commitment to offering international-standard airport accommodations and services whenever necessary.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the agency will provide MIAA a certified list of immigration officers and personnel at the NAIA Terminals 1 and 3 monthly.

Currently, there are 180 immigration officers in NAIA. Additional funding would enable the agency to hire 50 more personnel.

With the planned introduction of electronic gates within the year to modernize the immigration process and address congestion, Viado said his personnel will also undergo upskilling.

The official said there will be mental and physical training, as well as initiating “modern” methods to conduct interviews for the immigration process.

I Love Filipino

 

“I Love Filipino” is produced, co-written and hosted by husband and wife team Jiggy and Marnie Manicad

'I Love Filipino': A timely tribute to Filipino identity premiers on June 12

A documentary series called “I Love Filipino” will launch on Netflix on June 12, coinciding with the celebration of Independence Day. It is produced by Marnie Manicad through her production company, Team MMPI Production. It is also co-written and hosted by her husband Jiggy, an internationally-recognized and award-winning broadcast.

What are the greatest German sayings, translated into English?

 

Uwe Zimmer

PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist

2,561 followers

71 following

I consider myself a native German speaker, although my true mother’s tongue is the Upper Hessian dialect, which I still speak fluently. l learned Standard German in school. Further languages: French, Latin. I live in Berlin now. I talk to a lot of people for job reasons. My favorite subjects here on Quora are German history ( the 19th and 20th century), language and lifestyle.

25 GREAT GERMAN SAYINGS YOU NEVER HEARD OF

OK, here it comes: My list of sayings. Plus translation. If anybody knows an equivalent English saying, please let me know.

1. Sich zum Affen machen = making a monkey ( a fool) out of yourself.

2. Dem geht der Arsch auf Grundeis = He is anxious (direct translation difficult)

3. Eulen nach Athen tragen, oder Schnecken nach Wien = Carrying Owls to Athens / snails to Vienna, means irrational efforts : The owl is the symbol of Athens, it’s just everywhere. So there are enough owls in Athens, and the Viennese are already known for slow speed, they don‘t need snails (Symbols for slowliness).

4. Dumm wie Brot = very silly, as smart as bread.

5. Blind wie Paul, und Paul war’n Maulwurf = when someone oversees the obvious: Blind like Paul ’n Paul was a Mole.

6. Lieber Arm dran, als Arm ab = better loose your money than your arm (in German “arm” means „arm“ as well as „poor“).

7. Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund = Morning hour bears Gold in its mouth. similar to: The early bird catches the worm.

8. Honig um den Bart schmieren = smear honey around someone’s beard. To make compliments. Meant in a derogatory way.

9. Zeigen, wo Barthel den Most holt = originates in a Yiddish saying: show, how you get the money (most) with a crowbar (Barthel). means : I will teach you!

10. Schaffe, schaffe Häusle baue… = work, work, build a house. Means: I am / You are always busy.

11. Klappe zu Affe tot = Flap is shut, monkey’s dead. We screwed it up. We cannot make it undone. Let’s carry on.

12. Keine Arme, keine Kekse = You have no arms to pick a cookie, you ‘ll have none. means: Your own fault! Don’t complain and ask for help (OK; Not a nice one but very. common).

13. Die Haare vom Kopf fressen = Others are eating the hair from your head. Means someone (your kid) costs you a lot of money.

14. Morgen morgen, nur nicht heute, sagen alle faulen Leute = tomorrow, not today, only lazy people say.

15. Früher hatte er nen forschen P*****, heute hat er nen Porschefimmel. Means he used to be a women chaser, now he is a sportscar racer.

16. Die Revolution fand im Saale statt = The revolution will be held indoors (in case of bad weather). A popular comment on revolutions in Germany, which are said to have been lead not with much effort.

17. Das sind für mich böhmische Dörfer = This sounds like villages in Bohemia. Means : I have no idea what you are talking about. I don’t know these words.

18. Sport ist Mord = Sports equal Murder. Doing sport will kill you. A saying loved very much by couch-potatoes.

19. Wer aufräumt, ist nur zu faul zum suchen = Keeping your room tidy means you‘re too lazy to search for everything.

20. Zeigen, wo der Frosch die Locken hat. Now I show you where the frogs have their curls. Absolute nonsense. Means: I’ll teach you!

21. Schnee von gestern = Snow from yesterday. Nobody is still interested in this.

22. Ha - ha. Selten so gelacht. 3 Sack voll und den Rest in Tüten = (Ironically) Look how much we laughed: Three sacks full, the rest in plastic bags. Means: This wasn’t funny, this was boring.

23. Witz komm raus, du bist umzingelt = .Imagine a bank robbery, they have taken hostages but the Police are there, and now the Captain uses the bullhorn: You better come out, you are surrounded by police. Here Meaning: What you told, isn’t funny. If there is a point in your joke, he hides in between the words and doesn't want to come out.

24. Ich glaub mein Schwein pfeift = It seems my pig whistle blows. Meaning this is absolutely weird. Stop it!

25. Sauer macht lustig = Sour (drinks, food) makes you laugh. A nice comment when somebody offers you e.g. a sour cider: “Well, yes, it is a little sour, but sauer macht lustig".

Why is the German language so complex?

 

Jake Pentland

With the caveat that every language is difficult to learn, German seems to be a particularly strange example of a particularly complex language for an English speaker to learn if you consider the following: the pronouns are very similar; English and German have the same cases except that the accusative and dative have somehow merged together in English; that German and English have almost the same verbal forms, except we don’t use the second person singular anymore and that for whatever reason, English seems to tend toward dropping final “n” and the final unstressed /ə/ has disappeared.

If you are talking about a budding English polyglot, if you consider that the other most studied language, French, has twice as many verbal tenses as English and German or that very few English people learn Urdu or Polish, the main community languages in England, or Welsh, Gaelic, Manx, Irish or Breton (the languages of our neighbours) compared to German, I don’t understand where the idea that German is unfathomably difficult comes from.

That’s not to say that it isn’t hard to learn - and it is - but compared to its neighbours, it is more similar than different to English.

Rente und Steuern: Ab diesem Betrag müssen Rentner zahlen – Merz plant Änderung

Stand:11.06.2025, 17:59 Uhr

Von: Amy Walker

In Deutschland beziehen 22 Millionen Menschen eine Rente. Diese Gruppe muss auch Steuern zahlen. Es gibt aber eine Freigrenze.

Berlin – In den kommenden Wochen erhalten die 22 Millionen Rentner und Rentnerinnen im Land mal wieder Post von der Deutschen Rentenversicherung: Diesmal geht es um die Rentenerhöhung 2025, die wie jedes Jahr ab 1. Juli greifen soll. Dieses Mal steigt die Rente um 3,74 Prozent und damit erneut mehr als die Inflationsrate. 

Rentner müssen Steuern zahlen: So berechnet sich der Freibetrag auf die Rente

Mit der Rentenerhöhung wechseln jedes Jahr auch einige Rentenbeziehende in die steuerpflichtige Zone. Wer 2025 mehr als 12.096 Euro im Jahr verdient, muss eine Steuererklärung abgeben und gilt grundsätzlich als steuerpflichtig. Allerdings ist das nicht bei Rentnern und Rentnerinnen so. Sie haben auch oberhalb des Grundfreibetrags noch eine Freigrenze. Bei Rentnern und Rentnerinnen kommt es auf das Jahr des Renteneintritts an, wie viel man tatsächlich versteuern muss. 

Wer also 2020 in Rente gegangen ist, muss auf 80 Prozent der Rente Steuern zahlen; für 20 Prozent gilt einen Freibetrag. Erst für Rentenbeziehende ab 2058 wird 100 Prozent der Rente versteuert. Der Rentenfreibetrag wird nach Angaben der Deutschen Rentenversicherung für jeden Rentnerjahrgang berechnet und verändert sich nicht – also auch nicht durch die Rentenerhöhung.

Rentner aufgepasst: Das sind die besten Länder für die Rente

Fotostrecke ansehen

Der Rentenfreibetrag wird zum Grundfreibetrag hinzugerechnet, also: Wer beispielsweise einen Rentenfreibetrag von 6000 Euro hat, rechnet dies zusätzlich zum Grundfreibetrag hinzu, also 12.096 + 6000 Euro = 18.096 Euro. 

Tabelle: Ab diesen Betrag müssen Rentner Steuern zahlen

Das Portal Finanztip hat für jede Rentnergeneration seit 2005 errechnet, ab welchem Betrag Rentner und Rentnerinnen Steuern zahlen müssen. Daraus ergibt sich folgende Tabelle: 

Rentenbeginn	Freibetrag Westen	Freibetrag Osten
2005	22.034 Euro	20.573 Euro
2006	21.560 Euro	20.208 Euro
2007	21.164 Euro	19.899 Euro
2008	20.872 Euro	19.710 Euro
2009	20.520 Euro	19.468 Euro
2010	20.107 Euro	19.138 Euro
2011	19.797 Euro	18.891 Euro
2012	19.455 Euro	18.713 Euro
2013	19.099 Euro	18.532 Euro
2014	18.808 Euro	18.316 Euro
2015	18.593 Euro	18.184 Euro
2016	18.355 Euro	18.058 Euro
2017	18.077 Euro	17.848 Euro
2018	17.822 Euro	17.630 Euro
2019	17.558 Euro	17.413 Euro
2020	17.213 Euro	17.113 Euro
2021	17.112 Euro	17.043 Euro
2022	17.086 Euro	17.059 Euro
2023	17.149 Euro	17.149 Euro
2024	17.196 Euro	17.196 Euro
2025	17.148 Euro	17.148 Euro

Wer mehr als diesen ausgewiesenen Betrag im Jahr als Einkommen hat, muss potenziell Steuern zahlen. Beim Ausfüllen der Steuererklärung werden wie bei jeder Person dann andere steuermindernde Ausgaben hinzugefügt, zum Beispiel Werbungskosten. Für einen persönlich kann es also sehr gut sein, dass man mehr als diesen Betrag im Jahr einnimmt, aber trotzdem keine Steuern zahlen muss.

Die Steuererklärung muss in jedem Fall abgegeben werden. Allerdings könnte sich das in Zukunft ändern: Die neue Bundesregierung unter Friedrich Merz (CDU) hat sich vorgenommen, eine Quellensteuer auf Renten einzuführen. Dadurch sollen Rentner und Rentnerinnen von der Abgabe einer Steuererklärung befreit werden. Im Gegenzug würde die Deutsche Rentenversicherung automatisch eine Steuer von der Rente abziehen, genauso wie bei Arbeitnehmern und Arbeitnehmerinnen. Um das Geld zurückzubekommen, müsste eine Steuererklärung trotzdem abgegeben werden.