The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE Department of Inland Revenue is auditing nine businesses on Harbour Island.

The audit comes after two businesses on the island —which collectively owed about $1.3m in taxes — were raided last month.

Acting Controller Shunda Strachan said the audit is part of the department’s aggressive approach toward tax delinquents suspected of not being properly licensed, failing to pay VAT and other taxes, and under declared or under reporting revenues to avoid the full business licence fee and other levies.

She said: “So far for Harbour Island, we’re auditing about nine businesses and then we’re still doing preliminary investigations for mainland Eleuthera, so, we’re not quite done with the mainland (Eleuthera).”

“But mainland Eleuthera so far there are probably about three businesses, like I say, we still have a lot to go. We will do more visits, but it’s not just Harbour Island or Eleuthera you know, it’s throughout the Commonwealth, it’s throughout The Bahamas.”

Unable to give specifics on when or where the next raid will happen, Ms Strachan confirmed that the department is planning future operations.

“It’s not Harbour Island, it’s not Eleuthera. As I said it is throughout the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, we will be doing things weekly, bi-weekly.”

“We do have other operations planned and so it’s got to be a consistent thing.

“We do know that in order for it to be successful, meaning in order for persons to maintain and keep current with their obligations, we really have to be more active, and I think that has been something that we did learn from the private collectors - the more you contact, the more you are out there, the more likely it is for businesses to remain compliant or to do the right thing”

She gave an assurance that the department does not intend to put businesses out of production, but rather promote business efforts.

Meanwhile, DIR Head of Operations, Dexter Fernander, noted a current trend of Family Island businesses operating outside the scope of their business licence.

He said: “As it relates to the observations within the Family Island, we noticed that individuals are having business licence, and they are operating with certain things that are outside the scope of their business licence.

“And so, we are, what we are currently now doing, is just making sure that everyone is in a level playing field, that they are in accordance to whatever regulator they are under. And so, as we are headed to the Family Islands, we are looking at…this now gives us the opportunity to gather material.”