Bajan professionals warned over taxes

(Barbados Nation) Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler last night warned professionals such as doctors and lawyers and self-employed people, including mechanics, they will soon be under greater Government scrutiny to ensure they pay their fair share of taxes.

He said that with a Barbados Revenue Authority to be launched in April, “we’re going to be coming after them with a seriousness you have not seen before”.

He made the comment responding to a question about “tax evasion” from the floor at a meeting of the Democratic Labour Party’s (DLP) St James South constituency branch in Wanstead Terrace, St Michael.

Sinckler said the agency, which would embrace departments including Customs, Land Tax and Inland Revenue, would be able to take action speedily against tax evasion, under-invoicing and other discrepancies because it would have its own legal team in place.

He also reported that some problems people had complained about, including allegedly inadequate revenue collection by Customs, would be tackled by the authority.