Telemedia ordered to pay business taxes
After weeks of battle, today the Government scored a major victory against Belize Telemedia Limited when the Revenue Court ordered the company to pay business taxes for the months of February and March. Revenue Magistrate Edd Usher made the ruling this morning ordering that the taxes amounting to just over four point six million dollars be paid in two equal installments of two point three million dollars each. The first payment is due on July first with the second to be made a week later, by July eighth. Attorney for Telemedia, Eamon Courtenay, told News Five that his clients will comply with the order.
Eamon Courtney, Attorney, Belize Telemedia Ltd.
“The fundamental point that the company has been trying to make is that the taxes are due, Telemedia has always paid its taxes and will continue to pay the taxes. The question is where you have this dispute if you pay, would you be waiving your rights? How do you maintain your position without prejudicing your position but still pay? If there is a court order that we pay, the company has to pay and therefore it cannot be taken as waiving your right because the court ordered it.”
As for the taxes for the months of April and May, the Income Tax Commissioner has already served notices to Telemedia for payment of a similar amount of four point six million dollars.
And while Government collects the bounty, it still has to deal with the issue of the secret Accommodation Agreement signed between Telemedia and the Musa Administration. Telemedia claims the document entitles them to withhold taxes when it does not make its guaranteed fifteen percent rate of return.
Lois Young, Attorney, Government of Belize
“I don’t know what the government is doing with the arbitration. The government is a local government and a sovereign government. They are proceeding to collect their taxes. They probably will have to address that arbitration in London. So far they haven’t done anything. I don’t know that that can continue but I am not the government; I am just a hired hand.”
