GRA threatens to close down companies that owe taxes

Kurshid Sattaur 2Georgetown: Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur said that to ensure that the organisation retrieve millions of dollar owed in taxes, the agency will be taking stronger action over the next few weeks against tax evaders and defaulters.

He explained that tax defaulters have access to prominent lawyers and they are challenging the judgments, despite owing government millions of dollars in taxes. The revenue body has been battling to get taxes owed by many companies, particularly Value Added Tax (VAT) and Pay as You Earn (PAYE).

“We have, therefore, taken a position on some of these companies, to go after the taxes by way of levy proceedings and if we cannot get it by levy proceedings, we will move to close these companies down. To avoid them having further liability for the taxes,” Sattaur added.

 He, however, noted that there were some cases where the tax defaulters would agree to make payment by installments, following a court ruling.