Adjusting to the slow season is a challenge enough for any small tourism business.
And that's why small businesses in Placencia are speaking out after the Belize Tax Service served them with some hefty fines.
Members of the local chapter of the BTIA were visited by tax officers who showed up at their businesses in late April and noted common violations of Sales Tax regs - such as not posting the certificate and not giving a GST receipt.
The businesses were caught red handed - and while no one disputes the veracity of the infractions - tonight, businesses are howling at the size and severity of the fines.
In fact they thought they were only getting a warning and acted quickly to fix these errors, only to be fined a few months later, without any follow up. Jomarie Lanza went south today to find out more.
Lyra Spang, Owner, Taste Belize Tours
"A five thousand dollar fine in slow season is not a help and we have complied so we are really frustrated and surprised because it's not only us it's dozens of businesses in the village and these small businesses are the backbone of the economy and of the tourism sector so it is just the wrong way to do it we should have been given a chance to comply and we did so immediately."
Omar Sierra, Owner, Omar's Restaurant
"You can't handle people like that you know again we are a small business this what i maintain and take care of my family. I have five full time employees as part of my team and everybody depends on each other for jobs and just to make a living. I mean think about all the millions the Belize tax services collect from these Placencia small businesses every year."
We will air the full story tomorrow.
