Saint Lucia’s Inland Revenue Department has called on taxpayers to collect several unclaimed cheques.
The Department said to facilitate the disbursements, taxpayers should visit the refunds page on its website.
The page lists hundreds of beneficiaries.
“We will issue your notice of assessment with your refund cheque, if you are entitled, within reasonable time. If your return is a previous year return, incomplete, incorrect, or needs reviewing, it may take us longer,” the refund page post stated.
“If you provided a valid Saint Lucian bank account details in your return, your refund will be deposited onto it. If valid account details are not provided, your refund cheque can only be collected at our head office, or it can be mailed to you via the post,” the IRD explained.
The IRD has disclosed its inability to contact some beneficiaries who might have changed addresses or telephone numbers without informing the Department.
Last week, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre announced millions of dollars in tax refunds for Christmas.
“This Christmas, we are going to inject in the economy in terms of tax refunds for the people of Saint Lucia between ten and twenty million dollars,” the Finance Minister told reporters.
“Tax refunds. We promised it, and we are going to be paying it between now and December,” the Prime Minister told reporters.
“We most likely will pay over ten million dollars in tax refunds, and the rest will be paid in January. So the country is moving,” Pierre said.
A list should be posted of persons who have to collect cheques. Simple. Then people will know if they have something to collect.
Very true and Correct .So persons would Know
Other than coming to your office, couldn’t there be an online forum to view this list? Make it easy for people na!
A list is provided on the Facebook page.
http://irdstlucia.gov.lc/index.php/individuals/assessments-objections-refunds#Ref
If you read the article, you’d note that the list is on their web page. Jeez.
Where is the privacy now? No more right to privacy? How can you post people’s information online for unclaimed cheques? What if they don’t want people to know their business? Somebody should sue that dam government for breach of privacy. What country does this? No right thinking one for sure!
My name is not on the list. Y’all owe me since 2010. All assessments complete. I lost my job during covid. I have creditors calling me non stop. I have debts to pay and this money yall owe me is more than enough to clear all my debts. How do I get my money back without having to bribe some one at the tax office? Damn useless. The worst of the worst.
then bribe someone @frustrated…maybe u will get it faster
Sure is slp supporters alone on that list
Like everything else, posting the list of names of people with outstanding cheques to the public has it’s advantages and disadvantages. Imagine someone is owing you money and you see their name on that list. In the more developed countries, you can never do such. It would be a breach of people’s personal information. Just saying.
team no sleep November 29, 2023 At 7:11 pm
I’m not contributing to the already disgustingly high levels corruption and lawlessness in this country. That would make me complicit in criminality and a hypocrite if I complain about other criminal activities.
Regarding the argument for privacy I do not see the justification. Take note that even in the banking sector there is the requirement for property abandoned by a customer at any commercial bank to be published publicly before it is subsequently transferred to the Government. I note too that no refund amounts were published. I am sure that the reasoning here is more to reach out to a person who has been lost to the Department rather than to intentionally disclose their information.
I agree with previous submissions and do not support the inordinate and inappropriate withholding of taxpayer refunds or for any inappropriate activity for a taxpayer to get back THIER usually hard earned money. Taxation and public expenditure must be transparent and fair. Efforts are being made to deal with long outstanding refunds and I truly hope that the wishes of the general public can be granted.
With that said, we must remember that a tax system is a system that supports the general public system. There are certain public services that private citizens will not step forward and provide and this is where the Government steps in to provide these services whether entirely or at a discounted rate. Governments pay for these public services with the taxes collected and it is we the public that must hold the Government to account for taxes collected and how it is spent on public services.
I will finally close my submission by suggesting that given the public nature of taxation and who benefits that there should be more transparency in the tax system. Since in a public system it is intended for everyone to contribute and likewise for everyone to benefit, those who benefit inappropriately or those who contribute less that they should, should be publicly disclosed for transparency and fairness.