Dear Editor,
I would like this proposed requirement for Tax Compliance (for the renewal of business licences, firearm and drivers licences, etc) deferred until January 2017. In this way both GRA and the Guyanese taxpayers will be prepared for this major adjustment.
At present the GRA takes a year and a day to issue Tax Compliances/ Liability Statements. People are so frustrated that at times they resort to verbal abuse and threats of physical assault. They may not want to admit it but the staff at GRA are presently hard pressed to deal with the number of persons requiring compliances daily. If this new law is implemented the number of taxpayers requiring compliances will literally multiply twenty times (if presently 500 people apply for compliances daily, it will increase to 10,000). I say without fear of contradiction that GRA cannot, at this time, deal with such a great increase in the number of taxpayers; there will be more confusion and arguments. The fact that GRA’s building is dangerous to the well-being of staff and visitor, makes the situation even worse.
Preventing a small man from renewing his driver’s licence will not result in increased taxes, since most small business people in this country do not make $660,000 profit annually.
At present to get a Tax Compliance from GRA you have to visit the office four, five, six times. What will happen to employees who will have to take lots of time off or day off?
It is a fact that everyone must come under the tax net, but this cannot be achieved with such short notice. What if the government put the country on notice and gave everyone an opportunity to put their house in order, and implement this requirement in a year’s time?
In the meantime GRA’s taxes can increase dramatically (in the short term) if they go after those big fishes who have enormous visible wealth but pay small taxes.
In less than a year the President has shown that he is a caring president. The government should consider the plight thousands of poor Guyanese will face if these new laws come into place immediately.
Yours faithfully,
Trevor Charles
