What’s Up With Long Tax Return Delays

While much of the discussion at the workshop focused on getting taxpayers to pay, many Belizeans are asking a different question: when will they get their money back? Complaints about lengthy delays in receiving tax refunds have become increasingly common, with some taxpayers waiting months and even years. We put the question to Assistant Director General of the Belize Tax Service, Sharon Moya.

 

Sharon Moya, Assistant Director General, Belize Tax Service

“What we have been trying to do, we realize that there are some internally where we need to improve on that, um, area. And we have been trying to make strides in that where as the taxpayers submit their returns, that we give a, a short window of time where we need to ensure that they meet, um, we do the refunds on a timely basis.”

 

Shane Williams

“Is the issue that they are not submitting their ref- refunds claim properly?”

 

Sharon Moya

“There’s a lot of. There are sometimes, yes, it is that there are errors on their returns. And sometimes taxpayers, again, going back to awareness, sometimes they have multiple jobs, and at that time they believe that they are due a refund. However, when we do check that they have had multiple jobs in reality, and we have to ensure that we reconcile and be able to give you the correct refund amounts.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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