The following was received from a concerned Barbadian residing overseas – Blogmaster

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Dear BU:

I have hesitated to make this matter public before as it involves the accounting system for Barbados Land Tax but my problem may be a test case that is aimed at the Barbados senior property holders living abroad.  Here are the facts: 

1) Timely tax receipts are non-existent and Notices come late so that those abroad cannot take advantage of a 10% discount.

2) Since 2019 a marked increase in discrepancies whereby I was double-billed for an arrears due on the BRA portal  I paid both and contrary to practice, the over-payment was  not brought forward as a credit and that receipt arrived a year late.

3) In 2020 I made 4 International Money Transfers in Barbados dollars to cover 2 residential lots and 2 co-owned agricultural lots to the BRA Account at Central Bank of Barbados and they were subjected to a charge of which I was unaware.

4) There was a misapplication of deposits with the sum for the second tranche applied to the first residential lot which had a higher tax.

5) A record was sent me by email that showed that the deposit on the higher taxed lot had been made before I had made the IMTs

6) Several registered letters and emails have been sent to the Commissioner Lewis Ward and to a senior accounting officer but they are yet to acknowledge BRA’s mistake and remove the penalties and now I am being charged thousands of dollars

7) To make matters worse, I sent in 2021 a wire to Republic Bank to cover the 4 lots – BDS$7808.98 with detailed instructions as to disbursement.  I asked for receipts but none came but in August 2022 3 lots appear with heavy penalties for non-payment of taxes.  The fourth agricultural lot which is being requisitioned was free and clear.  So where did my money go? 

I have all my receipts that showed nothing was owing until the false deposit. It would seem that this matter is not worthy of reply. nor speedy resolve.  But it has serious ramifications for the safety of money transferred to Barbados by taxpayers and investors.  Please warn other senior citizens.