Assessments to taxpayers whose records show they are behind in their tax payments forthcoming
Minister of Finance Hon. Hiro Shigemoto says another stage of the tax reform process of the country has been started.
The Sint Maarten Tax Department and the Tax Receiver’s Office are working together to update the data available with respect to individuals and companies. A number of individuals and businesses will be approached via a letter with a request for information as to business details and their taxable status.
As part of the tax reform program being undertaken in 2012 and 2013 it is critical that the Ministry of Finance and the Tax Administration collects the taxes that are due each year from all taxpayers.
As part of this exercise the Tax Administration – represented by the Receiver’s office and the Inspectorate of Taxes – are both working to collect reliable up-to-date information on individuals and companies doing business in Sint Maarten.
The process of updating data will take place throughout 2012 and will continue into the early part of 2013.
As a first phase in this process a number of individuals and businesses will receive a letter sent from the Tax Inspectorate requesting confirmation of their relevant details.
The information letters will be sent to individuals and to businesses operating under a business name that is not known yet at the Tax Administration and which has no CRIB number attached to it. (The CRIB number is the unique number the Tax administration use to identify tax payers).
The information letter contains a reply form that can be used if businesses need to update their data.
Taxpayers can easily indicate any omissions on the reply form they receive. The Tax administration will then amend or remove the current information in the Tax Administration’s systems.
The Tax Administration has also been trying to identify those individuals and businesses seriously behind in their payment of taxes.
The letters therefore will also contain tax assessments for a reasonable estimated taxable amount for the year 2006.
The answer form can serve as a protest letter where the taxpayer can indicate if he/she protests the assessment and provide the reasons why it is protested.
If the protest is justified then the Tax Administration will swiftly revoke the assessments and update their files in this respect. Once the data is updated, assessments for the years following 2006 will be issued where relevant.
Individuals and companies that receive assessments should make sure to submit any protest letter by 6.00pm on Wednesday 29 February 2012 if they do not agree with the assessments.
The Sint Maarten Ministry of Finance and the Tax Administration believe that the process of gathering and updating information is vital to a properly functioning country tax system. If everyone pays the taxes they owe it also helps to keep taxes down for the majority of compliant taxpayers
Individuals and businesses currently not registered for tax purposes which does not receive a letter should also make themselves known at the Tax Administration by 6.00pm on Saturday March 31 2012 and apply for a CRIB number so that they can be included correctly in the Tax Administration’s records and can settle their tax affairs appropriately going forward.
Individuals and companies who have received the information letter may have some questions on how to deal with this. There is a dedicated project team at the Tax Administration building and the number to contact is 526-8127.