No Tax Amnesty for Guyana Stores for billions owed -GRA Commissioner General

Statia said the company had asked for 30 days to file those returns but those 30 days have expired allowing for a final deadline on Monday which also marks the deadline for the filing of all tax returns across the country. 

No Tax Amnesty for Guyana Stores for billions owed   -GRA Commissioner General

Just over a month after Guyana Stores Limited (GSL) lost its legal tax battle with the Guyana Revenue Authority, it is now being notified that it will not benefit from the ongoing tax amnesty for delinquent taxpayers.

GRA’s Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia told reporters on Tuesday afternoon that “there will be no amnesty for this particular taxpayer.”

“If you push us around for all these years you cannot expect the olive branch,” he said. 

The Authority won the appeal before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) against GSL but the company is now faced with a situation where it has at least eight years of outstanding Corporate tax returns.

In the case which dates back to 2012, the CCJ ruled that GSL must pay $3.8 billion to the GRA, but in addition to that, it must also pay all its outstanding tax returns. 

Statia said the company had asked for 30 days to file those returns but those 30 days have expired allowing for a final deadline on Monday which also marks the deadline for the filing of all tax returns across the country. 

The GRA boss said after the ruling, the Authority called in the shareholder and gave him a chance to first submit all outstanding tax returns, after which he can provide GRA with a settlement proposal.

He made it clear that although GRA can resort to taking away property, it is not interested in closing down business and now looks to work along with the taxpayer. 

He made it clear that there is also “a size-able amount” of interest and penalties.

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