In a bid to raise awareness of tax obligations and reduce errors on submission, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is offering free workshops to self-employed persons on Mondays to Fridays from 09:00h to 12:00h with an expected conclusion on February 20, 2015.
According to a GRA press release, the workshops were designed to address the “lacklustre approach to the payment of taxes” by self-employed persons and to reduce the difficulties experienced by these persons when completing their quarterly returns.
Further, the GRA said sometimes this particular bracket of taxpayers “in many instances would ignore their obligation to pay taxes.”
The report said, “The specific areas of concentration for these sessions include, but are not limited to: the preparations of financial statements, deductions allowed and expenses to be claimed, correct preparation and completion of tax returns, record keeping and other areas of difficulty facing self-employed persons.”
Commissioner General of the GRA, Khurshid Sattaur has expressed “the hope that with the completion of these workshops there would be a significant increase in the number of accurate returns to the Authority and increased levels of compliance among self-employed persons.”
Those interested in attending are asked to contact the Communication and Tax Advisory Services Division, Tax Advisory Services Section, 227-6060 extensions 1201, 1203 and 1204 to register. Further, Sattaur said the process is ongoing and persons can register at any time.
GRA defines self-employed person as any person who works for him/herself and is responsible for setting charges for goods or services offered, the release said. Examples include doctors, lawyers, beauticians, barbers, taxi-drivers, minibus owners and operators, farmers, hucksters and shop-keepers.
