A YEAR after paying nearly $14,000 in property taxes, an Eleuthera homeowner is embroiled in a dispute with the Department of Inland Revenue (DIR), claiming the agency has failed to recognise his payment.

The issue has prevented him from obtaining a building permit, which he says is costing him thousands, and leading him to describe the experience as “the biggest farce” he has encountered.

Marty Bihn, a US national working in mortgage lending, told The Tribune that he and his wife fell in love with Eleuthera during the COVID-19 pandemic and decided to purchase two acres of beachfront land in Current, Eleuthera, with plans to build.

The pair currently live in an apartment beneath his parents’ home.

He said they spend six to seven months of the year in Eleuthera.

After purchasing the property, Mr Bihn sought to handle his tax affairs as a new property owner in The Bahamas. However, he said he soon noticed discrepancies in his first Real Property Tax Bill.

According to Mr Bihn, he was listed as delinquent despite making a $13,772 credit card payment, which he claims DIR did not process correctly. He also believed the first four months of 2023 should have been tax-exempt.

He said he made the payment as part of a government tax collection exercise in Eleuthera, which involved officers from the National Insurance Board, DIR, and other agencies.

“They called them raids,” he said. “They had somebody from National Insurance, somebody from Inland Revenue, somebody from the police department checking cars, somebody from ports checking boats and moorings. They were going around to every business and every home, all over Eleuthera, checking everything.”

Mr Bihn said officials assured him they would correct the issue and offered a ten percent discount, so he proceeded with the payment via credit card.

Financial records reviewed by The Tribune purported to show a credit card payment of $13,722.15 to DIR on April 2, 2024. A bank statement under his wife’s name reflects the transaction, which was officially posted two days later.

Additionally, a DIR receipt indicates the payment was processed via a Capital One Visa at 11.08am on April 2, 2024. The receipt states the payment was “approved” and includes a signature and an official reference to DIR.

Despite this, Mr Bihn said DIR has failed to credit his payment, leaving him listed as delinquent, assessed with additional penalties and interest, and unable to obtain a tax certificate — effectively preventing him from securing a building permit.

Email exchanges between Mr Bihn and government officials show ongoing efforts to verify and apply the payment, but the issue remains unresolved.

“I have spent hundreds of hours trying to sort this out since last April,” he said. “After nine months, I don’t even know what to do, but they have misplaced almost $14,000 of my family’s money.”

The emails indicate that officials acknowledged the payment during the tax collection exercise but that internal records do not reflect the transaction. Mr Bihn said he was repeatedly asked for wire transfer details, despite insisting the payment was made via credit card.

“They had the whole crew there, and we discussed the first-year property tax issue,” he said. “We settled up to that day, and they took a credit card from us for almost $14,000, promising they would get it sorted out. Then in December, I got a bill, and they have not credited our $13,600. They assessed me more penalties and interest, didn’t apply the ten per cent discount, and now I can’t get a building permit while I have $200,000 worth of building materials sitting on the lot.”

Emails reviewed by The Tribune show attempts within DIR to escalate the matter, with local representatives reaching out to higher offices for clarification. However, officials reportedly instructed Mr Bihn to initiate a bank trace for a transaction that was not wired.

“I haven’t paid this year because the first-year bill has never been correct,” he said. “I was told that if I paid it, I’d never get the money back.”

Frustration mounted as the issue remained unresolved, with emails showing continued efforts to seek intervention from DIR’s head office.

When contacted by The Tribune, a DIR representative said an initial review found no formal complaint from Mr Bihn regarding the missing payment. However, the official confirmed that the matter was now under investigation and that DIR representatives would contact him via email or phone.

One response indicated that the payment could not be found in official records, contributing to further delays.

Despite Mr Bihn’s assertions that he has been trying to resolve the matter for nearly a year, the DIR official maintained that there was no prior record of a formal complaint regarding the missing $13,772.15. The agency is now reviewing the case and has requested any additional documentation that could assist in locating the payment.

As the dispute drags on, Mr Bihn said his frustration has reached a breaking point.

“If I’m being honest, I’m ready to sell the land and do something else. I’ll get back on a boat and cruise around because this is insane,” he said.

Despite his love for Eleuthera, he admitted that the ongoing battle with DIR has dampened his enthusiasm for investing further in The Bahamas.

“I’ve spent hundreds of hours trying to sort this out, and they’ve misplaced almost $14,000 of my family’s money. Meanwhile, I have $200,000 worth of building materials sitting on a lot that I can’t use,” he said.

While Eleuthera’s blue waters initially drew him in, the frustration of navigating government bureaucracy has left him disheartened.