100 tax dodgers on the government’s radar

Government will soon be moving to collect outstanding tax payment from defaulters.

“We are going to be more aggressive about collecting,” Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves said on WEFM’s Issue at Hand programme on Sunday September 25.

The Minister was speaking at the time about outstanding Value Added Tax(VAT) and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) forms of taxation.

“We have asked Income Tax to produce a list” of the largest defaulters, he stated.

He said the government will not be relying solely on the team of lawyers attached to the Inland Revenue Department.

“We are in the process of getting outside counsel,” to deal with 100 tax dodgers, Minister Gonsalves added.

He explained that the outside counsel “will act as bill collectors.”

They are expected to pursue “more aggressively” persons who have not paid their bills.”

He said this collection exercise will target the largest 100 tax dodgers of VAT and PAYE in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The minister used the opportunity to remind delinquents that money collected for VAT and PAYE deductions are not earned by the businesses, but simply held by them for the government.