Taxpayer Seminars Held in Buff Bay and Port Maria

The importance of tax payers complying voluntarily with their tax obligations was stressed at seminars sponsored by the Tax Administration Directorate at the Buff Bay Health Clinic in Portland, and the Port Maria Civic Centre in St. Mary on Wednesday, March 8.
Both seminars were attended by a wide cross section of persons, including self employed, employers of labour and employees of various business enterprises.In addition to underscoring the importance of compliance, the occasion was also used to offer free service by auditors, who provided participants with professional assistance and guidance in respect of the assessments of their tax obligations.
Speaking to the JIS News, Tricia Anglin, Tax Payer Education Officer at the Tax Administration Directorate, said the seminars were being held to assist persons to meet the March 15 deadline for the payment of income taxes.
She pointed out that there has been a significant improvement in the rate of compliance since the tax payer seminars were introduced in 2003.In her address, Mrs. Anglin appealed to the participants to make a special effort to pay their taxes on time, as failure to do so could incur penalties.
Emphasising that the revenue from taxes was critical for the social and economic development of the country, she said tax payers should endeavour to meet the quarterly deadlines of December 15, March 15, June 15 and September 15, which have been designed to make payments easier and more affordable.
She encouraged the participants to develop the habit of keeping a record of their expenses and earnings, and this would enable them to formulate a more accurate assessment of their tax obligations.
Mrs. Anglin appealed to tax payers to be honest with their tax paying responsibilities and not to indulge in practices which would allow them to escape those obligations, adding that such practices will only result in penalties being applied against them under the law.
She also urged them to inform their local collectorate if their business were no longer in operation, in order for the necessary adjustments to be made in respect of their tax liabilities.Also speaking to JIS News were several participants who attended both seminars.
They expressed appreciation for the staging of the events and the professional assistance offered to them in the compilation of their assessments.