Dealer claims NLCB demanding outstanding Lottery taxes

One National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) online games operator is claiming the statutory board has demanded outstanding lottery taxes from him by the end of January.

The Central dealer, who declined to be named, said in December NLCB’s online games supervisor, Rolph Clarke, called him to say he owed nearly $50,000 in back taxes from August to December, and had until January to pay up. He did not receive a letter from the agency to follow up the call, so was confused about what he needed to do. There was no mention of repercussions but the dealer assumed he’d be stripped of his dealership – which he has run for almost 25 years.

Yesterday, NLCB chairman Eustace Nancis confirmed there had been a problem with collecting the tax, which was implemented last August. He added that it has since been resolved and all taxes owed to the Treasury have been paid.

Opposition activist Devant Maharaj, who first raised the issue, alleged $14 million in taxes went uncollected owing to a glitch in the software that was supposed to automatically deduct the ten per cent tax on winnings.

The dealer said, “I don’t understand what they mean that we owe taxes. They were supposed to take it out (automatically.) When you give the customer their payment you see the tax on the list, so we pay the customer their winnings less the tax.”

He said nothing like this has happened before, and he has been on time with all his other payments to NLCB, so it was a surprise to get this call. He added that other dealers he spoke to had similar experiences.

The NLCB did not answer calls by the time of publication of this article.