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The tax office for the Caribbean Netherlands (“Belastingdienst Caribisch Nederland”) announced on Wednesday that it was taking action in regard to an internal investigation which revealed a group of business owners on Saba, Bonaire and St. Eustatius who “systematically fail” to file their general spending tax ABB and/or wage tax LB returns.
The Belastingdienst (tax authority) has decided to form a team that will contact these taxable persons, with the intention of offering the business owners the opportunity to still file their tax returns before the Belastingdienst takes further measures. These measures can lead to criminal prosecution.
The ABB and LB are tax forms which most citizens deal with periodically. They have to be filed and paid to the Belastingdienst on a quarterly basis, before the 15th of the respective month.
LB is a tax that is withheld by employers from an employee’s wage and has to be paid. The ABB is a tax that is charged to the client and has to be paid by the business.
“Nearly all business owners comply with their responsibilities; however, there is also a small group that does not transfer the ABB and/or the LB that they receive from citizens (consider for example a dinner at a restaurant where you pay ABB for the service),” Belastingdienst stated in a press release.
“This thus means that public money will not reach its correct destination. As a consequence there will be less funds available for amongst others education, safety and healthcare.”
In the coming period, Belastingdienst employees will contact the business owners and/or their accountants. This will be done by means of telephone contact, letters and visits. Business owners will consequently be informed of their declaration and payment obligations and will have the opportunity to still comply. By doing that, they will prevent further measures to be taken.
For questions or to make an appointment, contact Belastingdienst by phone at 715-8585 or visit www.belastingdienst-cn.nl.
Source: The Daily Herald.
Well I don’t know what they have done with the regular people’s returns…. I filed my return ASAP and I am still waiting for my personal tax return to be processed. Almost 5 months now…and still not a word.
Why is it that the tax office does not apply the same automatisms on the BES-islands as in the Netherlands? Why are we bored with completing data, with delivering forms with questionnairs that are not necessary anymore in the Netherlands sice at least 10 years???