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Poor attendance at Inland Revenue seminar on VG

Acting Deputy Commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department, Mr Charles Benjamin. Photo: VINO
Two of the four participants who turned up for the Inland Revenue Department's training seminar at Virgin Gorda on May 27, 2013. Photo: VINO
Two of the four participants who turned up for the Inland Revenue Department's training seminar at Virgin Gorda on May 27, 2013. Photo: VINO
Mr Charles Banjamin with two of the other participants. Photo: VINO
Mr Charles Banjamin with two of the other participants. Photo: VINO
The other facilitators of the seminar. From left: IRD Finance and planning officer Ms Samantha L. Stephens-Jackson, Collections Officer Ms Alvera Scatliffe and Revenue Officer Ms Daphane R. Sprauve. Photo: VINO
The other facilitators of the seminar. From left: IRD Finance and planning officer Ms Samantha L. Stephens-Jackson, Collections Officer Ms Alvera Scatliffe and Revenue Officer Ms Daphane R. Sprauve. Photo: VINO
VALLEY, Virgin Gorda, VI – Blame it on the rain maybe but it was slightly comical when only four persons turned up on the opening day of a seminar organised by the Inland Revenue Department for residents of Virgin Gorda on Monday May 27, 2013.

The seminar was organized by the Inland Revenue Department to educate tax payers and potential tax payers on the ‘need to know’ information with regards to the taxes that are administered at the Inland Revenue Department. The first session, which was scheduled to commence at 6:30 P.M. at the Catholic Community Centre, was poorly attended by residents as there were only four persons and the matching facilitators who turned up. Despite the inclement weather, two of the persons present said that they had only learnt of the seminar earlier the same day.

Several others who did not turn up for the seminar told this news site that they were in receipt of notice to attend the same day. Nevertheless, the facilitators were very accommodative of the few participants and went ahead with the full training session, which did see a healthy interaction.

“Just the other day in the house we know that the Minister of Finance said that the government is going to be granting amnesty to all property owners whose property tax is in default. So that if a owner has not paid their property tax for the last five years or so, then that owner comes into the Inland Revenue Department and they can agree to pay up all the property tax and all the interests will be waived but that condition is only good from June [1] this year until the 31st of December,” said Acting Deputy Commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department, Mr Charles Benjamin.

“Amnesty for property I think must have been the last, may be fifteen years or so ago, it quite some time, certainly more than a decade ago,” said Mr Charles.

Asked about the ratio of persons that are not paying up their property taxes, Mr Benjamin responded, “For whatever reason as with any other tax you’re never going to have a hundred percent persons who are going to be in compliance so that anyone then who is not becomes a defaulter and so they are asked to make good on their payments.”

At the time Mr Charles said he couldn’t say exactly what is the ratio of non-compliant property tax payers as oppose to those who are compliant but did say, “I think it would be safe to say that the majority of persons are paid up.”

He explained that the interest incurred over time may have been a contributory factor that has deterred some defaulters from coming forward with their payments since the penalty is calculated at 20% per annum. “It means then that if you haven’t paid your property tax let’s say for five years, the 1st year you are paying 20%, the 2nd year in default you are actually paying 40% , the 3rd year you are paying 60%, the 4th year 80% the 5th year  a 100%.”

With that situation Mr Charles said that defaulters would find that after a few years the interest becomes more than the actual tax. “So I am sure that now with the interest being waived, those persons who are in arrears are certainly going to take the opportunity to come into the department and have their taxes paid.  

The Inland Revenue Department will continue their endeavor to educate residents of Virgin Gorda on the issues of payroll taxes and forms as they would be rotating between the Valley and North Sound to reach their targeted audience.

10 Responses to “Poor attendance at Inland Revenue seminar on VG”

  • virgin gorda (29/05/2013, 10:54) Like (28) Dislike (43) Reply
    We will continue to boycott as long as the NDP is in power. They got away with a big tax break when they were in power last time with the land deal so who wants to hear them about tax issues now anyway?
  • pink (29/05/2013, 11:10) Like (0) Dislike (8) Reply
    I look forward to hearing the date for a seminar on Tortola, much needed and appreciated.
  • with virgin gorda but live tola (29/05/2013, 11:28) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    i wound have don't the same. you could fool some people sometime, but you can fool the people all the time.
    people getting older & wiser. we can see the bull $hit from a distance. no more words of sounding good.

    Do something meaningful that will have an positive impact on the people, and maybe the people might show some kind of face/s at the meets.
  • VG Home (29/05/2013, 18:30) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    I did not see or hear a thing about this meeting until checking Facebook. Hmmmm.... is there a better way to let the public know. For VG -- maybe a post on the Virgin Gorda Community Bulletin Board on Facebook.
    • vicki (29/05/2013, 18:56) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
      notification is an on-going problem for all public meetings. I was scoffed at when I railed against the short notice for the smugglers cove meeting. Here we have another example of the problem.
  • Millionaire Street (29/05/2013, 23:45) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Poor advertisement. Why alyou did not tell the churches to advertise dis ting.
  • enough is enough (30/05/2013, 13:45) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    May be de people dem don,t want to hear any ting from them HYPOCRITES.


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