This Pinder arse has for years now been an agent of the U.S. government planted in our midsts to undermine the sovereignty of the Bahamas by hindering the Bahamian people's ability to benefit from the development of their own natural resources. Bahamians should also know that Graham Thompson & Co., the law firm in which this Pinder arse is now a partner, counts the U.S. government among its largest clients, if not its single largest client.

Why does KPT not carry out a comprehensive tax review and reform like Trump??????

If they bring in income tax it will start off low like 5% and initially only be for people earning large amounts (say over $50,000). All sounds good, however with the way our Governments spend within 10 years it will be at 20-30% and starting at $15-20,000. I wouldn't mind paying it if we got value for our money, but if it is to to keep the standards we have now, then no that's not acceptable. Unfortunately i know that it will happen one day and when it does i will still be breaking my car up going to work as the extra money will be wasted.,

I see absolutely no problem. They want to f**k with us? We will f**k with them. Let's introduce 20% corporate tax, just like in the USA. Everyone will just report losses and since no one in government knows how to read a balance sheet or earning statement, there will be no problem. It will be a voluntary tax with no enforcement. Everyone happy.

The rich person in The Bahamas (earning over $100,000) does not pay his/her fair share of taxes ........... The average Bahamian makes less than $20,000 and has to pay fuel tax, license tax, VAT, stamp tax, customs duty etc. .......... What "extra tax" does the rich person pay???????.......... Sorry, I forgot - the rich pay "real property tax" (?) ........ BOL

I agree, this is why i think they will introduce it at a high rate as people won't mind. However knowing how our Governments have all squandered the revenue they make it won't take long before they reduce the rate income tax starts, then eventually a large majority will be paying it.

Love the "fair share" argument. Fair to whom? According to whom? And when they come for your money once the wealthy have left?
What isn't fair is successive government administrations pissing ever increasing tax revenue away.
There is no competency in Bidding, actual quality of construction or proper administration of end use.
Zero decent upkeep on existing infrastructure.

This country does not have a funded welfare program ...... nor does it have a well-funded education assistance program (aka education loans) ......... So how does a Bahamian multi-millionaire contribute to the public education and social services plans for the bottom third of the society?????? ......... Leave it up to his/her generosity????? ....... Do they ALL write a generous check to the Treasury every year to assist with the poor, disabled, and the indigent??????? .......... PAY MORE TAXES.

All true, however the inequalities in The Bahamas are too great and it is only right that those who are richer pay more, even if they do not benefit as much. Income tax is the easiest way of doing this. One hope would be the people demand more accountability on Government if they have to pay more.

Income tax should only come into effect at the same time our government structure is dismantled and we no longer have government officials in a position to squander it (i.e. never!).
I keep saying that our country would run MUCH more efficiently without a government. We may not get richer but we sure as hell won't get any worse.

Guys, we are not talking of PERSONAL INCOME TAXES. The EU does not care about that. They care about CORPORATE INCOME TAXES. For companies, not individuals.

And wouldn't this have a trickle down affect?

Thought they discussed both. Corporate Tax should have been done a long time ago as Business license needs to be got rid of.

When is everyone going to figure out the "blacklists" will never stop? You give into one, another appears... Its a treadmill you can never get off. So why start in the first place?

If government want to tax us more, . ......
Will it drive rich expats from our shore? . ....
Less money will be changing hands, ... ...
Less VAT collected throughout our lands,, ,,,,,,,,
And those who cannot move away, . .........
Can not put by for a rainy day, . ........ ...
Cos Inland Revenue will take so much, . .......
We'll be left with empty purse to clutch. ....... ......
But pensions paid to Pindling's wife, .. ....
Will Leave her living "Riley's Life".
Hubert and Perry's pension's so high,. ..... ....
hey'll still be rich years after they die.

The sh!t that many don't realize is they have mostly white, foreign guys running the Department of Inland Revenue already. And more likely than not they are planted by the feds to see exactly what is going on in this country and who owns what. They call you in saying," Mr John Doe, we have six pieces of property listed in your name. Can you please come in to verify that they are yours." And when you go in they never had six properties listed in your name but they now want copies of your passport and national insurance card. Then they begin to hassle you to pay any back taxes you may owe. So now they maybe are setting up a system to garnish your wages of bank accounts for back taxes. And their system is so out of date, many of the properties they have listed, especially in the inner city, no longer have structures on them or the buildings are delapidated and uninhabitable. And this will be a major problem the government will face when it tries to revive these areas. And if if any form of income taxes, corporate or otherwise, it will have to be a replacement tax and not a new tax. When VAT was introduced it was suppose to replace customs duties and stamp taxes and those taxes were to be eliminated completely. They were considered to be barriers to international trade. But the government chose to collect customs duties,and stamp tax in addition to the VAT. This pushed many Bahamians below the poverty line. It caused many businesses to become unprofitable and others to become insolvent. The main reason being that the cost of carrying inventory is too high. Another reason is because of our proximity to the US market and the ease of shopping online the tax loaded prices in The Bahamas cannot compete. And many businesses that did not properly adjust their prices found that they could not cover their overhead. More than half an average Bahamian's income already goes to government in some form of tax or fees. To increase that burden with another tax will create a nation of homeless people who cannot even afford to feed themselves.

Here we go, usual times are tough blame the white foreigner. Get over it you have had many many years since independence to do your own thing. And it was the predominantly black PLP that has driven this country into Banana republic debt.

This can't be the same 'John' spouting religion all the time, can it?? Blaming the white man -what verse is that from again?

Umm isn't it wrong to not render unto Caesar what is his. So surely there should be no back taxes owed? If there no longer is a building on the property isn't this your responsibility to inform Government? Duties were going to be eliminated on most items when VAT was brought in, however VAT was going to be 15% to do this. This did not happen. Basically all you are doing is blaming everyone apart from yourself for the situation you find yourself in.

What a nightmare! The records need to be straightened out but amnesty for back taxes should be given. With records in this order they don't know who owes what.

gee you should get an RBC job.

if i send the grandson to get some condensed milk from the foodstore with cash .

i will work under the table, thanks. the Outspoken QC will protect me.

there should be no ceiling in income taxt, but rather , a FLOOR, if your income is below a certain amount, you do not pay.

Ryan Pinder is not the only person touting income tax for the Bahamas in some form. The Bahamas needs to implement income tax reform even if the government doesn’t benefit from it. An income tax reform will move the Bahamas from a zero-income tax to a tax base even introduced at 5%.

If the government was to introduce income tax, this will be a good way of stealing from the middle class and rich and to help the underprivileged. If earned low income in the U.S., you get a refund, if you don’t get a refund, you will more than likely not have to pay taxes

Investors get credit in their home country when the country they are doing business with have an income tax base, mainly business income tax.

I have clients who live in other parts of the world who are also U.S. citizens that benefit from the tax regime from the country they domicile in.

Bottom line; the Bahamas needs some type of income tax, and I don’t mean tax the people into oblivion, but to avoid the blacklist. Blacklisting can futher erode the second pillar of the economy the financial service sector, subsequently putting a considerable amount of middle class out of a job.

U.S. Tax $20,000
Exemption generally three (4,050*3) 12,150
Standard deduction generally three (6,300*3) $18,900

Total Deduction $ 31,400

Net taxable income 0

Child tax credit per child (1,000 *3) $3,000
Low Income Credit (3,800)
Other Credits (1,200)

The poor will take home (3,000+3,800+1,200) every year.

Income Tax would be a joke---Nobody is paying their Real Property Taxes, their Power bills or their Water bills!! Income Tax---You've got to be kidding!!

We don't have many day traders here trying to hide profits or even defer taxation. The BIG money is accumulating in Dublin & Luxembourg. Someone in our offshore centers should explain to these nitwits that money in these centers is not here primarily for active investnent so much as privacy & security. They pay their taxes where they live and do business and what is left they bring to places such as here and invest in property which only makes money when it is sold. These guys are off their game. Send ALL of Apple's & Google & Facebook money back to USA if you are really interested in tax evasion / aversion. Don't ask us to pay for their bad judgement !!!

The reason many Bahamians don’t pay property taxes is they don’t feel they should have to. Government already gets stamp tax and VAT when you purchase your property. Then they get over 40% customs duty and VAT on all the materials you use to build your home, plus 7.5% VAT plus national insurance on the labor costs. Then there are building permit fees and other incidentals that go to the government amounting to more than 50% of the cost of your home. No Bahamian should be required to pay property tax on an owner occupied home.

They don't if its value is less than $250,000.

The problem with implementing income tax is you will only be able to accurately enforce it with salaried persons such as government workers etc. How will you tax, builders, fishermen, Hatien gardeners-you can't.

So right! Only the hotel workers, bank workers and government workers will pay an income tax (i.e. the middle and upper middle classes). Everyone else will get a pass. Business owners will only pay themselves enough to cover their living expenses (some of which will surely go through their company's books as well - i.e. live in a company house, drive a company car). The middle class will again take on the majority of the tax burden... until they leave.