New mandatory tax system to launch in March
A new system for taxpayers to facilitate the administration of all taxes and licenses is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks.
The government, in a recent press release, announced that the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), in collaboration with the Department of Information Technology is preparing the Standard Integrated Government Tax Administration System – SIGTAS 3.0 to go live in March 2023.
But in order to facilitate this upgrade, all residents of employable age are required to be registered.
Commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department, Karen Smith-Aaron said members of the public must provide either a valid passport or driver’s license along with their Social Security card, and an email address to ensure that registration is successful.
The release noted that the IRD is seeking to improve its database to allow taxpayers greater access and flexibility and said the new system is expected to facilitate the submission of online payments via the government e-payment gateway.
Smith-Aaron said taxpayers are at the heart of the new system and are now empowered to view their tax information.
With the SITGAS, taxpayers will be able to submit registration forms online, print registration certificates, make queries about accounts, check unfiled tax periods, follow the status of pending requests, and communicate easily with the tax administration through an embedded messaging centre.
According to the Commissioner, the IRD is “committed to assessing the taxes, licences and fees due to the government of the Virgin Islands while applying the tax laws with fairness and integrity, and in an atmosphere of mutual respect.’’
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This is progress, lots of missing revenue will now be able to be collected!
But will it speed up the process I spend days in town having to deal with all these taxes, as a small business it is ridiculous, no where it says we can pay online …. that would be the big help
Does anybody know where this registration is to be done? If online, or in person? The previously provided online site is not working.
Who will ensure that all persons of employable age are registered? Another white elephant exercise. The people that are paying are who will continue to pay, nothing new here.
Just a stupid idea.They should have a yearly tax return, even if is something small, that way everybody will make sure register and pay up, and if you don’t pay up then you don’t get a cheque when is tax time ?♀️This well keep taxes up to date as well!!!
Sounds great but can we pay these complicated taxes online so we don’t have to spends days in town queuing at all the different offices? This is the issue for small businesses that do have dedicated accountants.
A tax return will first require you to pay something for a portion to be return. Your suggestion will offer little incentive for persons to pay their taxes as not paying will enable to retain all their monies as opposed to paying in the hopes of government returning a portion
Being able to pay SSB/NHI online is awesome, so quick and easy, its fantastic that IR is following suit. To the naysayers its much easier making an annual filing than a number of different printed forms and paperwork – not to mention no more queues! If you only have 10.00pm on a sunday to pay then go ahead. This is the right way forward. Now IR can concentrate on the problems rather than the mundane. Without taxes there are no public services and the rate of taxation in BVI is low, pay up!
Tax you will pay until the day you die.
I really hope this is an already established software system that our Government has seen the foresight to purchase a license for, not some program dreamt up here that will be implemented without the proper checks, cause undue stress and delays, then undoubtedly get scrapped after several months (ie: online work permits, new ports process)…. The correct software is out there with the proper trainers and experts – lets use technology the RIGHT WAY!
I have lived here for.more than 20 years. I am very much familiar with the SIGTAS system. It’s not all about collecting revenue. It’s also about assessing for unfilled persons. But also important it’s also about tax refunds.
U areRight, Why they dont send the list to the company from inland revenu? how is this impossible if they taking the tax out how do anyone know even the company say they say thisnis impossible to tell u but how they print good standing if they not able to tell what the worker paid because it impossible breakout. Or can they?
*do NOT have accountants
How are the Government going to make sure that everyone is registered with the Inland revenue? The (good) employers already submit tax returns and pay payroll tax so the Inland Revenue knows which employees/employers have paid tax.
What about those employers who submit the returns and don’t pay or the bad employers who don’t submit the tax returns at all? How the Government going to make sure the bad employers register their employees or pay tax? Maybe the Government needs a list of everyone living in the BVI and match to election lists and employers. And the Inland Revenue needs to check that all employers are paying the tax and not just some.
Next is an income tax rate on top of payroll tax – that’s what this is about. Getting more money out of those that already pay the payroll tax and the NHI and SSB.
https://eregisterfortax.gov.vg