Today the Income Tax Department held its second annual Fair. Now there's not much that can be said to hype up a fair about paying tax, that seems like reciting poetry to a statue….but the Tax department is undeterred, it wants to prove that taxes - and paying your taxes - contribute to an orderly, well-run society. Here's more:
Kent Clare, Commissioner Income Tax
"We decided that we wanted to expand and to bring some associate partners who have to deal with us. So we have gotten the department of GST on board this year along with the Belize Tourism Board, the Belize City Council, the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Chamber of Commerce as well as with alongside those who were here last year like Atlantic Bank and Belize Natural Energy. The fair itself really is an attempt to showcase our services in a relax atmosphere, that's why it is called a fair. Some people feel that it's a contradiction of terms - taxation and fair. But really and truly we feel that if tax payers get to see the same thing but from a different perspective, their rationale for paying and their desire to pay might change if they are relax and that is why the whole concept of having a fair."
Andrea Polanco
"I know that it is open to the public. What has the reception been like from the community?"
Kent Clare, Commissioner Income Tax
"Well I'll tell you what, one of the useful things of having these partners with us is that their membership is encourage to attend as well, we have it on a day when we have a very high traffic here at the department you know both GST and Income Tax are located in the same building and this would generally be the time when people come to income tax and business tax and GST. As well we have a lot of commitments from the schools; we think that it is important to include the students as a part of the presentation because these of course are our future tax payers. I have yet to get my reports from all across the country but it seems very much like we are having a good response."
At the fair, the public was able to gather information materials, play educational games and win prizes. Similar fairs took place across the country.
