Ministry of Finance laying the groundwork
WILLEMSTAD- 1 April 2022 – CASHA and CHATA took notice of the Minister of Finance, Javier Silvania’s intentitions to act against rental accommodations not paying taxes. One such action in the short term, is the submission of a draft legislation by the Minister of Finance in the second half of 2022. This initial piece of legislation is aimed at securing the payment of all applicable taxes by one of the larger suppliers of rental accommodations on the island, AirBnB.
CASHA and CHATA are pleased by the initial step taken towards the creation of a level playing field which both have been lobbying for. However, like AirBnB there are several other organizations such as booking.com and tripadvisor that provide similar services in different price levels and types of accommodation without paying tax. In addition, there are many local rental companies, on behalf of private owners, renting real estate to tourists and do not pay taxes in Curaçao.
It is important to note that besides OB all these rental companies and other entities, need to comply with other taxes such as WB and/or IB, SVB and other social premiums as well.
For there to be a Level Playing Field as envisioned and shared with the government, CHATA and CASHA, will continue to advocate for the implementation of a legislation addressing compliance with all taxes and social premiums as dictated by law.