THE Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has issued a reminder to all taxpayers about penalties that are laid down for persons who fail to comply with its laws. It said Monday, April 23, was the statutory deadline for the submission of tax returns and the GRA is exploring every feasible option as it relates to providing assistance to persons who are required to make submissions.
In its bid to assist taxpayers, GRA has set up sites leading to the April 30 deadline for the submission of income, property, capital gains and corporation tax returns, and this is geared to accommodate taxpayers who are unable to visit the GRA’s office.
Speaking at a media briefing, Acting General Manager of the GRA, Ms. Hema Khan said for the year, there has been a slight decrease in the number of person submitting returns for the various taxes. As such, the agency is taking the opportunity to remind all taxpayers of their obligation to the GRA.
She warned that persons who fail to comply with the regulations will have the face the penalties that are laid down by the GRA, one of which is a two per cent charge.
“We are approaching the April 30 deadline, which is the due date for the submission for all the income tax returns, property tax returns, corporation tax returns and public tax returns, and we have been monitoring the submission of returns, so far, and we have seen a slight decrease as opposed to last year. So we are a bit concerned, and we want to take this opportunity to make persons more aware of the due date, where they can submit their returns and also the penalties if they don’t comply with our law,” she said.

On track
According to Khan, the GRA has taken upon itself to ensure that if the public cannot come, it will go to the public, and in this regard, it has stationed several tax sites around the country to make them available to business people, so they can be on track with the tax system.
“We have sites wherever possible to make the compliance easier to the taxpayers out there. We are actually going out at various locations, and we are also encouraging persons to submit their returns. They do not necessarily have to come to our offices; there are tax sites, and they can send returns in to any of the branch offices, or any of our locations,” she explained.
Khan pointed out that whenever a person lodges the returns, a receipt is given to him/her as proof of the submission. Additionally, in some cases, every person would not be able to receive a lodgement receipt right away. However, they will receive their receipts via mail.
“We are allowing persons to collect a lodgement receipt, which states that they have submitted their returns, and this is being done at any of the branch offices. We do realise that the number of persons coming in to submit returns will not be given a lodgement receipt, but we will be mailing out receipts that would actually show that the persons have submitted, and the type of tax that they have paid for, as well as the time and date the lodgement was received. And persons should keep that as proof of their returns being submitted,” she advised.
Khan said when returns are lodged, they are not entered into the system right away, but if mistakes are identified in any returns, they are sent back to the person to be corrected.
Commissioner General, Khurshid Sattaur, in a statement, reiterated that this year, the GRA is expecting an increase in the submissions of tax returns.
He said the benefits of submitting returns by the statutory deadline includes the avoidance of unnecessary delays when obtaining liability statements and compliance certificates for the disposal or transfer of property and tender purposes.
The GRA is encouraging persons to visit its tax sites or to utilise the ‘drop-box’ facility to submit their income, property and commercial gains tax returns which are due on or before April 30.
“This will avoid the payment of penalty for late submissions of returns after the statutory due date,” he reiterated.