A Taxpayer's Regret
September 29, 2024
It is Saturday afternoon, and the streets are buzzing with activity. It’s the end of the month, and I’d like to believe the economy is improving. Yet, despite the bustling scene, I keep hearing from many who are still just scraping by. Lately, though, the conversation has shifted to something else: nearly two years ago, the Minister of Finance announced via a Facebook post that 3 billion guilders in tax arrears, dating back to 2017, had been written off.
Initially, I wasn’t particularly bothered by this. I figured these must be uncollectable taxes, debts the government had no realistic chance of recovering. Sometimes, you end up on the wrong side of the line. For example, when the retirement age was raised from 60 to 65, I was stuck on the wrong side of that decision and now have to work until 65. I didn’t dwell on it too much.
But I started hearing more over time, and the emerging picture is troubling. This tax write-off seems to benefit a relatively small group—people with debts in the hundreds of thousands or even millions. Many of these individuals are well-known for their ability to pay. Some even had existing payment plans in place.
Mariano is right to wonder why the Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Businesses of Curaçao are not raising their voices. Is it because their members received the breaks?
That’s when I did something I don’t do often enough: I reflected on how this decision impacts me personally.
Since 2011, after my dismissal from UNA, I’ve been in a different situation. With an employer handling my taxes, I had nothing outstanding for many years. However, since 2011, I have had over a decade of appeals that I have never heard back from, while my tax debt has continued to grow. When the Minister introduced the option to pay off taxes in one go with a discount, I foolishly jumped at the chance. Not long after, the tax forgiveness was announced.
I cannot shake the feeling that I would’ve been better off waiting for the waiver. I find myself thinking that I, too, want my tax debt forgiven, at least until 2017. Once again, it feels like I am being penalized for simply trying to be a diligent taxpayer.
It is hard not to feel frustrated. Why are those who play by the rules punished while others receive a free pass?
Miguel Goede
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