Esteemed residents of Sint Maarten,
I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with important insights into the tax restitution/refund process, as I strongly believe in being transparent and providing clarity to the sint maarten residents as it is crucial for your awareness and participation.
Tax compliance is undoubtedly important, but equally significant is timely tax restitution. Once you receive your tax assessment and are eligible for a refund, it is essential that you take action, immediately! You can visit the tax office to fill in your form or you can send an email to taxinfo@sintmaartengov.org with the required information to ensure your details are added to the monthly refund list.
One of the common questions I encountered was why residents need to provide banking information separately when it is already included in their tax income form. Unfortunately, the systems of the Inspectorate are not directly linked to those of the Receivers Office, which means that the banking information provided on the form is not automatically accessible to the Receivers Office. This discrepancy, although seemingly illogical, stems from outdated systems that date back more than two decades that cannot be integrated. Rest assured, we are actively working towards improving this process.
Another concern raised are individuals who received a restitution last year but still needs to resubmit their bank account information. The reason behind this is to ensure accuracy, as bank account details may change over time. While I acknowledge that this process is currently inefficient, our dedicated team at the Receivers Office is doing their utmost to manage these challenges within the limitations of manual processes and outdated systems.
I also inquired about the possibility of individuals not receiving their rightful refunds because they did not visit the tax office or submit the necessary email request. Sadly, this is indeed the case and after five years the assessment becomes statute barred, which regrettably means that your tax refund is no longer collectible. Therefore, I urge you to please request your refund, by filling out the form at the tax office or emailing taxinfo@sintmaartengov.org.
During my tenure, changes have already been made to the current tax refund payout process to ensure fairness. Specifically, the changes made will now ensure that those who request their tax reimbursement are now paid on a first-in, first-out basis.
The assessments for the year 2020 have been finalized and they are currently processing the year 2021, if you are eligible for a refund, please submit your tax assessment and banking information promptly to be included in the upcoming payment schedule. Restitution payments are processed on a monthly basis, and a fixed amount is paid out monthly. Once this limit is attained, incoming requests are processed the following month.
In an effort to provide relief to Sint Maarten residents and in anticipation of the start of the new school year, the fixed payout amount was doubled in July, resulting in two months’ payments being disbursed in July.
The new tax system will introduce various improvements. However, in anticipation of this long-awaited upgrade, my intent is to update and streamline current processes to enhance efficiency. We cannot afford to remain stagnant. Therefore, my focus is on the following three areas:
- Ensuring that the tax assessments backlog is cleared, allowing for new assessments to be finalized within the subsequent calendar year.
- Improving the refund process where individuals are placed on a refund list without needing to request their refunds due to them.
- Enhancing collaboration and information sharing within the tax administration, recognizing that both the Receivers and the Inspectorate fall under the same administration. Residents should not suffer due to lack of coordination between these departments.
By addressing these areas, I aim to improve the overall efficiency of the tax administration and provide better service to the residents of Sint Maarten.
While we are currently working on updating these processes, in the meantime I urge all residents who are owed tax refunds or are unsure about their tax status to either visit the tax office or send an email to taxinfo@sintmaartengov.org for clarification.
Thank you for your attention, and I encourage your proactive engagement in this process. Your cooperation is vital as we work towards improving efficiency and transparency in our tax administration system.
