The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A Department of Inland Revenue (DIR) official says there has been a noticeable improvement in business tax compliance in recent years.

John Williams, the tax agency’s spokesman, speaking at a weekend event praised the private sector’s efforts to remain compliant with all relevant government agencies including the National Insurance Board (NIB), Department of Physical Planning and Bahamas Customs.

“We definitely have seen an improvement, just in the fact of persons who are applying for their Business Licence renewals online. The steady flow of persons coming into the department, events such as this, where we have large turnout of persons coming out, shows a higher level of compliance in the business community,” said Mr Williams.

“Persons always are vying for contracts and they know, in order to be paid by the Government for certain contracts, or even the private sector, they have to get their Tax Compliance Certificates (TCC’s). And in order to get your TCC, which tells us that you're compliant with all government agencies, you know you got to be compliant.”

Mr Williams said there is ongoing activity related to real property tax, and the Department has been actively going into communities and leaving door hangers to encourage people to contact them. He explained that goal of these visits is not to issue tax bills, but to gather information and ensure properties are recorded correctly.

“Persons are inquiring about their bills. They're realising that they need to register their properties. We have had a lot of activity going out to communities, leaving door hangers on the door, letting persons know, ‘Hey, we want you to contact us. Is your property registered? You need to register. And folks need to understand that just because we visit you, it doesn't mean that you have a bill,” said Mr Williams.

“We're just taking a log. We want to register all the properties in the proper names that they should be in because you could be living on a property currently, right now, in someone else's name after you've purchased it. So again, it's just about enforcing compliance and ensuring that everybody's up to date.”