St Philip North MP Dr Sonia Browne has not only doubled down on her position against “grossly unfair” land tax calculations by the Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA) but has now called for a forensic audit to shed light on the situation that has resulted in people being asked to pay significantly more this year.
On Wednesday, a week after appealing during the Estimates debate for authorities to look into her exorbitant land tax bill – and sharing that some of her constituents had similar concerns – Dr Browne reiterated her calls during the Budget debate.
Last Tuesday, she told the House of Assembly that her bill had almost tripled from $3 300 for 2022 to $8 300 for tax year 2023-2024, and said other rural constituents were facing similar increases as they were being taxed for non-residential property. Barbados TODAY subsequently learned that Barbadians who own properties two-acres or larger, which was classified as agricultural land by the Development Planning Office, were being asked to pay significantly higher land tax rates.
Dr Browne said while she has a small agriculture operation on her property, she made no profit from it; however, she said, it was the livelihood for several of her neighbours, one of whom saw his land tax bill increase from $475 to $4 512.
The government MP said while she had been accused of taking her “personal business” to Parliament, “it was more than my personal business”.
“It had to do with the residents that live around me and beyond with respect to this land tax issue. I think it is grossly unfair for those of us who have to rake up that money. It is grossly unfair. It needs to be looked into. I dare say it needs a forensic audit,” said the MP who in January resigned from her position as Minister of State in the Ministry of Health.
“There is information out there, whether true or false – it doesn’t have to be true, but it needs to be looked into.”
While she did not specify what information she was referring to, claims have recently surfaced on social media of irregularities at BRA with respect to land valuations.
Dr Browne made it clear that she did not believe land tax should be abolished as “taxes are there for a reason” but she was adamant it had to be calculated fairly.
She said the current situation did not encourage farmers to work their land.
“Those with agricultural land, that’s no incentive at all to do anything on it. Or maybe that’s the incentive to do more on it that you can pay the land tax – which leaves no profit for you. But I am begging, begging … somebody with good sense to look into it,” the government backbencher appealed.
In the meantime, she said, she would pay some of the taxes demanded of her, even as she pointed to another concern.
“The danger with paying the land tax is that you can’t owe the government; the government can owe you but you wait with bated breath to get back your money from the government. We all know this with taxes. We all know this with land tax. So, I will see for the next five years, ‘oh you have a credit’ but I will still be asked to pay…. I will be asked to pay interest rates on land tax if I’m late but if the government owes me, no interest will be placed on that. And these are the things that we really, really, really, really need to look into,” she said.
“I am sorry if I make some people uncomfortable. I was told lately that I make some members in here uncomfortable and I apologise for that but these are things that affect my constituents – or maybe I don’t apologise for it; let’s leave it there.” (DP)
