El Departamento de Impuestos de Belize ha emitido un recordatorio a los contribuyentes sobre su responsabilidad de declarar todos los ingresos que perciban, incluso aquellos obtenidos por trabajos informales o adicionales fuera del horario regular.
La Directora General de Servicios Tributarios, Michelle Longsworth, enfatizó que el sistema actual cruza datos en tiempo real entre empleadores, lo que impide ocultar fuentes de ingreso.
“Los impuestos se aplican sobre tus emolumentos totales. Muchas personas tienen varios empleos, pero deben declarar todo, porque ahora recibimos información electrónica de cada empleador,” explicó.
Según Longsworth, anteriormente se podía manipular la información en declaraciones impresas para obtener reembolsos indebidos, pero eso ya no es posible.
“Ahora los datos son en tiempo real y es importante que las personas sean honestas. Tenemos muchos contribuyentes cumplidos,” añadió.
También destacó que incluso pequeños negocios registrados deben declarar y pagar impuestos conforme a sus ingresos.
“Debes pagar impuestos por todo lo que ganas,” concluyó la funcionaria.
El llamado busca reforzar la cultura de cumplimiento fiscal en todos los sectores de la población.
El Departamento de Impuestos de Belize ha publicado una lista con más de una docena de empresas que adeudan impuestos comerciales y el Impuesto General sobre las Ventas (GST). Entre los nombres destacan la Sociedad Cooperativa de Pescadores del Norte, Plexar Capital LLC y Eco-Friendly Solutions Limited.
La Directora General, Michelle Longsworth, afirmó que este es un último llamado tras múltiples intentos fallidos de cobro, “Estos contribuyentes han ignorado todos los esfuerzos. Se les ofrecieron auditorías, planes de pago y el derecho a disputar evaluaciones. Rechazaron entablar un diálogo significativo.”
Uno de los señalados es Andrew Munnings, fundador de Munnings Funeral Home, quien figura con una deuda de $182,000. Munnings asegura estar cumpliendo con un acuerdo judicial y realizando pagos mensuales.
“Estoy pagando dos mil mensuales. No me avergüenzo. Trabajo duro. Solo quiero trato justo como cualquier otro empresario,” declaró.
Longsworth aclaró que el sistema tributario beliceño es de cumplimiento voluntario, y que el impuesto comercial se basa en ingresos brutos, no en ganancias.
“El GST es del 12% y no es un impuesto a la empresa, sino al consumidor,” explicó.
Munnings, por su parte, criticó la falta de apoyo a pequeños empresarios beliceños:
“Si les dan exenciones fiscales a los grandes, ¿por qué no a los pequeños emprendedores nacidos aquí?”
Mientras el gobierno exige pagos atrasados, algunos ciudadanos reclaman que todavía esperan reembolsos fiscales. Longsworth reconoció que han surgido comentarios en redes sociales, pero asegura que muchas quejas no son genuinas.
“Algunas personas han sido maliciosas. Pero quienes responden y dan información, reciben sus reembolsos de inmediato.”
The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (5Cs) broke ground on its permanent headquarters at the University of Belize’s Belmopan campus this morning. Belize rolled out the red carpet and welcomed key figures from across the region, including Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Phillip Pierre.
The groundbreaking takes place on its 20th anniversary as a major milestone for regional climate action.
During his address, Prime Minister John Briceño reflected on the origins of the 5Cs, which date back to the late 1990s under the Musa administration. He said the new headquarters is a culmination of years of regional cooperation and advocacy to establish a central hub for climate action in the Caribbean.
Briceño pointed out Belize’s unique environmental assets. “Belize is a living laboratory… we have the second-largest barrier reef and quite likely the largest living barrier reef in the world. In the western hemisphere, we have four atolls, and Belize has three of them.”
Briceño invited his Saint Lucian counterpart to explore Belize’s natural beauty to “see why it is that the 5Cs is best situated here in Belize.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Barrow thanked Peyrefitte for rescinding his resignation and praised Vice Chairman Alberto August for his interim leadership.
As previously reported, Peyrefitte’s return comes just months after he abruptly resigned, only six days after the UDP’s major general election defeat on March 12.
According to Peyrefitte, both sides of the divided party reached out and urged him to return. He stated he initially resisted but ultimately felt “obligated” to come back. “I’ve presented to the parties involved that I have a certain vision… We are in discussions… I am fully prepared to take charge… up until the point where we have a national convention,” he said.
According to Barrow, the party’s next steps include setting a date for the National Convention, reinstating members, and addressing key organisational matters that are “in line with the agenda to reunite and rebuild as we prepare the Party for transition to new leadership.”
KHMHA Public Relations Manager Tylon Tillett refuted a report by Facebook blog Belize News Network (BNN) which claimed nurses abandoned critically ill babies in the NICU.
Tillet called the report “totally false and misleading.” He said, “As the Public Relations Manager of the KHMHA, I am appalled at the level of skull duggery this so-called media network has stooped to,” he said.
“I urge the public to not be mislead by an obvious political arm that slanders the professionalism of the nation’s national referral center in protection of political interests,” Tillett added.
According to Tillet, “All the staff of the NICU was present today… 8 nurses cared for 13 babies.”
Cansino accused the KHMHA Workers’ Union (KHMHAWU) of “violating the law” and “putting the safety of patients at risk” after the reported sickout. “Despite an offer being made for their consideration, the KHMHAWU has proceeded with industrial action as opposed to negotiation,” Cansino said on Tuesday in a letter to the Minister of Labour.
A statement from the Department of Environment (DOE) says the task force is composed of “key regulatory agencies, was established during a meeting held to address longstanding challenges in compliance monitoring, enforcement capacity, and inter-agency coordination.”
Monthly meetings are expected to target violations linked to large-scale developments and chronic non-compliance with environmental clearance conditions. However, critics note that the DOE’s renewed urgency shows years of inaction, particularly as public pressure mounts over unchecked development and the lack of accountability in high-risk environmental zones.
Discussion points at the task force’s launch included the classification of environmental offences, the need for updated legislation, and plans for shared public awareness campaigns.
“This national task force represents a unified response to Belize’s urgent environmental challenges and underscores the government’s commitment to sustainable development, community well-being, and environmental justice,” DOE said.
In the tense days leading up to the U.S. military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear sites, the White House and Republican congressional leaders coordinated a strategic messaging campaign to rally support and maintain a unified stance on Capitol Hill, according to CNN.
Emails circulated between June 14 and 17 reveal a deliberate push to reinforce President Donald Trump’s hardline position on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. One such email, sent to congressional offices on June 17 with the subject line, “POTUS has made it abundantly clear; Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon,” included statements from Trump and testimony from General Michael Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, asserting that Iran was dangerously close to nuclear capability.
The military action has come at a steep human cost. According to Iranian state media IRIB, at least 627 people were killed and nearly 4,900 injured between June 13 and June 25 during the conflict between Israel and Iran. The Iranian Health Ministry said that 86% of the deaths occurred immediately at the scenes of Israeli attacks.
Despite early U.S. intelligence assessments suggesting that the strikes may have only temporarily disrupted Iran’s nuclear program, President Trump dismissed those conclusions during a NATO summit press conference on Wednesday. “They didn’t see it. All they can do is take a guess,” Trump said, insisting the facilities were “obliterated.”
He also criticised media coverage of the strikes, accusing outlets like CNN of “demeaning” the U.S. military operation and demoralizing pilots involved in the mission. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s defense, calling skepticism over the impact of the strikes “an insult” to military personnel.
The CEO of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority (KHMHA) has accused the Workers’ Union of “violating the law” and “putting the safety of patients at risk” after over 40 staff members reportedly called in sick on Tuesday, which caused disruptions to essential services.
In a letter to the Minister of Labour, CEO Chandra Nisbet-Cansino formally declared a trade dispute with the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority Workers’ Union (KHMHAWU) and requested the establishment of an Essential Services Arbitration Tribunal.
“Attempts made to resolve the issue have been futile. The Authority maintains that the KHMHA staff do not qualify for a pension under the Pensions Act,” Cansino said in the letter. “Despite an offer being made for their consideration, the KHMHAWU has proceeded with industrial action as opposed to negotiation.”
The KHMHAWU recently rejected the government’s proposal of a 4% ex gratia payment towards retirement benefits for staff covering 2001–2017. The union called it a step back from earlier promises and criticised the hospital’s portrayal of basic benefits as generous incentives.
The hospital says the union failed to report a trade dispute as legally required. The sickout affected units such as dialysis and radiology, where several patients had to be sent home.
A text message sent to KHMHA staff informed them that “radiologists have call-in sick. Due to this, we will not be able to facilitate ultrasounds and contrasted CT scans.”
The Ministry of Labour is now being asked to intervene to facilitate resolution under the Essential Services Act.
According to the Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network, between 2010 and 2021, firearms and ammunition trafficked from the United States to the Caribbean were transported through a variety of methods. The most commonly used were ocean shipping companies, which accounted for 24% of cases, followed closely by shipping companies with unspecified modes, also at 24%. Commercial passenger planes and unspecified methods each made up 17% of trafficking routes. Shipping companies by air were used in 7% of the cases, while postal and fast parcel services were responsible for 10%.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), the European Union’s EL PACCTO 2.0 programme, and France’s ALCORCA initiative have launched a five-day regional firearms training workshop in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
The event marks the first tripartite collaboration among the three entities, aiming to bolster the region’s collective ability to combat transnational organised crime and illegal arms trafficking. This is an issue speakers described as one of the most critical public security challenges facing the Caribbean.
Lt. Col. Michael Jones, Executive Director of CARICOM IMPACS, warned that the proliferation of illicit firearms is driving gang violence and homicide rates across the region. “These instruments of violence fuel gang warfare, drive up homicide rates, and undermine the peace and stability essential for our sustainable development,” Jones said.
Michel Segura, Deputy Director of EL PACCTO 2.0, described the training as a landmark in international cooperation. “This training represents more than a technical event. It is a common vision for a safer, more prepared, more connected regional space to fight against firearms trafficking,” Segura said.
Videsh Maharaj, Permanent Secretary in Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Homeland Security, revealed sobering statistics: the Caribbean experiences violent death rates nearly three times the global average, with over half of all homicides involving firearms. He noted that between 2009 and 2018, more than 22,000 illegal firearms and over 300,000 rounds of ammunition were seized in CARICOM countries. From 2018 to 2022, U.S. authorities traced 7,399 firearms recovered in the Caribbean, 73% of which originated in the United States.
The Belize Tax Service is turning up the heat, naming and shaming more than a dozen businesses for unpaid taxes in a bold public notice. But while the government is calling out defaulters, at least one business owner is calling foul. Andrew Munnings of Munnings Funeral Home says he’s already in court, making payments, and doing his part. So, why is he still being singled out? And beyond that, a bigger question is emerging: while the tax office demands what it’s owed, what about the refunds it owes to everyday Belizeans? Tonight, we take a closer look at the growing tension between taxpayers and tax collectors and ask, is the system fair for everyone? Here’s Paul Lopez with the following story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
The Belize Tax Service has issued a public notice, putting more than a dozen businesses on blast for failing to pay their business taxes and GST. Among the biggest defaulters? Northern Fishermen Cooperative Society, Plexar Capital LLC, and Eco-Friendly Solutions Limited. According to Director General Michelle Longsworth, this isn’t just a warning, it’s the final call for those who’ve stayed silent on their tax debts. So, what happens next? And how serious is the crackdown?
Michelle Longsworth
Michelle Longsworth, Director General, Belize Tax Services
“What we are saying here is because all efforts have gone unresponsive by these tax payers. We have done everything to try and collect from them. It is important to know that none of these defaulters listed just received a bill out of nowhere with no warning. We tried working with them and we still continue to try but they refuse to engage in meaningful discourse. So, each one of them was afforded the rights all tax payers receive, audit reviews, payment arrangements, disputes if they wanted to dispute any of the assessment. They were engaged.”
Andrew Munnings, owner of Munnings Funeral Home, is firing back after his business appeared on the government’s tax defaulters list. The Belize Tax Service claims he owes one hundred and eighty-two thousand dollars in unpaid business tax and GST. But Munnings says he’s been in court over the issue and is making regular payments. In a social media post, he called the system unfair and said small businesses like his are being unfairly targeted.
On the Phone: Andrew Munnings, Founder, Munnings Funeral Home
“I have seen the inside of a courtroom more than P Diddy. When the director says these are business that are noncompliant that they will take to the court, I am like, what have I not been through with you all. I have an agreed court statement, where I am paying court fee and business tax and GST and back tax. I am paying them two thousand monthly. So what do you want. I have made it clear it is our duty to pay taxes. But let us clear, a five-year business with two hundred thousand dollars in back taxes is ridiculous to me.”
Director General Michelle Longsworth says the tax system relies on businesses to report their own earnings. She explained that under the law, it’s a system based on voluntary compliance, meaning the responsibility starts with the business, not the tax office.
Michelle Longsworth
“Remember for business taxes there are different rates, one point seven five percent, three percent, six percent, it depends on the sector that you are in, the type of business you own. For GST it is twelve percent across the board and that is different, because remember the confusion here at times is that GST is not a tax on business, it is consumer tax. Also, business tax is paid on your gross not your profit. There is this misconception that business tax is paid on your profit. That is so very wrong. It is on your gross. What we do when we do audits or validation, we validate that what you submit to us is correct.”
Andrew Munnings says when he first tried to register his business with the Belize Tax Service in 2021, he was told he didn’t meet the threshold. But after officially registering in 2023, he was hit with a large tax bill. Now, he’s challenging how that amount was calculated, arguing it doesn’t reflect how his business actually operates.
Andrew Munnings
“I am not saying we should not pay tax. That is our duty and responsibility. Nobody never told tax services we never want pay tax. It is how we go about doing stuff. The last time went to court they took me to court for the closure of my business for thirty days. I told them please close it down permanently, I am absolutely tired. I am not at a stretch point anymore with it, because I can see clearly that my business is not the only business going through all this. But, what I am trying to say if we give tax breaks to big people, people with big fancy names, why we cant give it to young, small, born Belizean people. My thing is that my name is on that list and I don’t feel ashamed about it, because I work hard for what I have and what I try give. I don’t want anybody to feel sorry for me. I don’t want nobody to fell sorry for me. I will pay my tax, whatever they say I owe. They are getting their two thousand monthly.”
The tax debate isn’t over just yet. Andrew Munnings, owner of Munnings Funeral Home, says he’ll keep paying the Belize Tax Service two thousand dollars a month, as ordered by the court, until his debt is cleared. But while his case continues, a new conversation is surfacing: what about the tax refunds the government owes to everyday Belizeans? That’s right, while some are being called out for what they owe, others are still waiting on what they’re owed.
Michelle Longsworth
“What I will say here is that I think that some people are being mischievous because we have a team of persons monitoring these comments on social media and then they try to contact them to get the information of their employment, they put out there we owe them from 2019, 2021 an when we try to contact these persons they get no response or they just block you because at the end of the day they have been mischievous. I can tell you that we have helped quite a few person who have genuinely posted out there and when we contact them they give their information and they can attest to the fact that they have been immediately paid their refund.”
Longsworth says a similar list of tax defaulters was published in 2023. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
