Tax amnesty ends

MONDAY morning saw long lines at the Inland Revenue Division (IRD) office of people filing last-minute returns at the close of a fortnight’s extension to the government’s tax amnesty.

Most taxpayers at the Campus Plaza, Port of Spain venue praised the extension with allowing them get their affairs in order.

The scene was partially reminiscent of September 16, when a snaking queue headed to the cashier’s booths and “amnesty box” before the doors closed.

Newsday visited yesterday at about 3.20 pm, when a steady trickle of people were arriving at a rate of about one every one or two minutes.

Most of the handful whom Newsday spoke to were quite glad for the extension.

One unusual complication, however, was the cashier’s booths closing at 11 am, in line with the nearby Ministry of National Security and the Office of Attorney General, to facilitate an internal accounting exercise for the end of the tax year.

Taxpayer Orlando Smith told Newsday he had indeed waited until the last minute to get all his documents in order.

“Everything was fine. I met the deadline. I was able to pay my taxes very early this morning when I came in here. The line was all by the fountain.

“They let people in by batches. I got through with everything in one hour. They took me to a room where someone printed out a receipt for me and I went to a cashier, and everything was easy, and it was very good. I had no problem.”

However, Martin Williams thought the extension should have been longer. While yesterday corresponded to the last day of the fiscal year, he did not think the amnesty extension had to match that date, but could easily have gone beyond it.

“A taxpayer becomes non-compliant because of their (BIR) negligence in not giving you proper literature,” he complained. Williams said taxation was onerous for small businesses.

Shereen Jack said the extension had worked very well for her and the two-week period was just about right. Jack said she had not faced any hiccups.

Her employer had a supply of tax forms to help staff.

Natasha Mohammed said she filed at about 1 pm.

“Everyone was very helpful. It went beautifully.”

She said the morning had been crowded, in an echo of last Friday. which she said had been “brutal” regarding overcrowding.

“I’ve heard that this morning there were a lot of people in here which was full and crowded. But overall people were very nice, all things considered.”

Another woman lamented the cashier’s booths were closed yesterday morning, but recalled that a similar move by the two nearby ministries had been announced in advertisements in last Friday’s press.

Allyson West, Minister in the Ministry of Finance, told Newsday there had been long lines of last-minute taxpayers earlier yesterday. However she could not say how much was collected, as she said that apart from the back taxes, people were also coming to pay certain other quarterly tax payments due in Sepember.

Otherwise, West declined to give us a peek at the budget, saying she had not yet spoken to Finance Minister Colm Imbert. Pressed by Newsday, she advised, “Wait and see.”