Latest update February 6th, 2025 7:27 AM
Investigators monitor 141 businesses for not issuing receipts in 2016
GCCAC Head, Haroon Khan
Some businesses seem relentless in their bid to dodge taxes by not issuing receipts to customers after goods would have been purchased. Based on statistics provided by the Head of the Guyana Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (GCCAC), Haroon Khan, in 2016 there were 141 reports of this illegal practice.
Meanwhile, in 2015 Khan said there were 101 reports made to the GCCAC. The latest figure represents a 40 percent increase in reported instances. According to the Head of the commission, businesses that do not produce receipts are acting in contravention of the Consumer Affairs Act.
“All businesses are expected to issue a receipt and the receipt is supposed to be legible for one year showing the VAT and price, including the name of the entity. If a customer does not receive a receipt or the company is not willing to give them that receipt, we advise them not to conclude that purchase and they can make a report to the commission and we will act upon it.”
Khan told this newspaper that efforts were made to sensitize businesses about their obligations to consumers regarding the issuing of receipts. He said that the entire business hub excluding Sheriff Street between 2013 and 2015 received excerpts from the Consumer Affairs Act for which they signed.
“The whole of Regent Street, King Street, Avenue of the Republic, Robb Street have in excess of 400 to 500 stores. Sheriff Street concluded with 600 stores. All signed on to the excerpt and within the excerpt it deals with receipts.
“What you find is that they keep on contravening the law, meaning, once there is an intervention on our part, they rectify the problem quite quickly but you give them a month or two, they go back to the same thing.”
According to Khan, if the GCCAC receives a report of a repeat offender, the owner of that business would be summoned to the commission and if they continue, would more than likely be eligible for summary conviction.
He said that if found guilty before the court, that businessperson would be made to pay a fine of $1M and one year imprisonment. Khan said that the Commission had held a consumer seminar last year whereby there were more businessmen and women participating than consumers.
Khan highlighted that besides not printing receipts, some businesses tell their customers that if they want a receipt Value Added Tax would be applied to the price. “The thing about it is that the VAT has already been included in the price, including a huge mark-up.”
The GCCAC Head said those persons who accept the arrangement not to collect the receipt are not protected and moreover become a party of the contravention of the Consumer Affairs Act.
He added that businesses that are guilty of this were dealt with. However, Khan said that he is aware of some entities who continue the illegal act. The GCCAC Head said that the Commission is planning another intervention to clamp down on perpetrators of the Consumer Affairs Act but refused to give a date preferring to capitalise on the element of surprise.
Khan said that during these interventions, staff members of the Commission are usually accompanied by ranks of the Guyana Police Force and the media. He reiterated that all customers who encounter businesses refusing to issue receipts should not conclude the transaction and proceed to report the matter.
The GCCAC is located at the Sophia Exhibition Complex compound.
Khan said that of the 141 complaints in 2016 close to 90 percent have been resolved and likewise for 2015.
Recently, this newspaper was informed that some businesses blatantly refuse to issue receipts so as to under report income in order to not pay the necessary taxes. This is a problem which affects the collection of taxes by the Guyana Revenue Authority since income taxes by some businesses are manipulated to reflect a lower amount of total sales.
Equally worrying is that some stores are charging VAT on items but are not remitting that to the Guyana Revenue Authority.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Land, taxes and penalties
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News-The American humorist Will Rogers once remarked that the best investment on earth is earth... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
