Any operation that is performed in Belize is required to pay business tax, The table below indicates those businesses in which business tax is applicable.

Tax Rates

Businesses, companies, and self-employed persons are liable to pay business tax. These rates vary according to business classification:

• Receipts from radio, on-air television, newspaper business, domestic airline business and service stations (Sale of Fuel and Lubricants); at 1.75%
• Receipts of entities licensed to provide telecommunication services that offer real time voice services; 19%
• Receipts from “Other Trade & Business” (items not otherwise specifically mentioned in the Act); at 1.75%
• Rents, royalties, premiums and other receipts from real property; at 3%
• Income from profession, vocations or occupation; at 6%
• Earnings of an insurance company; at 1.75%
• Receipts of institutions licensed under the Banks and Financial Institutions Act ; at 15%
• Financial Institutions within a PIC group now pay 8% on their receipts, which previously were taxable at 4%
• Gross earnings from gaming establishments and casinos taxable at 15%
• Real Estate agents are taxable at 15% on their gross commissions
• Receipts of entities providing electricity services; at 6.5%

Exemptions

as prescribed by the Income and Business Tax Act:

• Receipts of any local authority where income is not derived from a trade or business managed by the local authority.
• Earnings of any ecclesiastical, charitable or educational institutions
• Any pension paid by any person or authority outside Belize to a retired person who is residing in Belize.
• Payments received under any social security scheme or fund, whether made by a person resident in Belize or abroad, provided such payment are prove to the satisfaction of the Commissioner to be social security payments.
• Interest from any debentures, treasury bills, treasury notes or bonds issued by or under the authority of the Government of Belize.
• Interest payable by any person on capital used in specified development industries or projects
• Interest payable by the Government on monies borrowed by it from, or debts owed by it to, sources outside Belize.
• Earnings for other trade or business of less than $75,000 per annum and $25,600 for professions, vocations or occupations, where the earnings represent the only means of livelihood for that person.
• The income from a scholarship, exhibition, bursary or any other similar educational donations held by a person receiving full time instruction at a university, college, school or other educational institutions.

Deductions

General Sales Tax must be deducted from total sales/receipts to arrive at Business Tax receipts:

• General SalesTax collected
• Charitable contributions of a minimum of $500.00 and up to $30,000.00 per year
• Earnings Replacement Duty on fuel paid on importation
• Excise duty
• Supply sales by the quantity fuel importer to another quantity fuel supplier
• Funds received as an agent.
• AccommodationTax provided for under the Hotels & Accommodation Act

The Business Tax Return and any taxes due must be filed by the 15th day of each month, covering all receipts for the previous month.

Penalties

Penalties are accounted for those individual or organizations who do not comply with the filing and payment deadlines and they are as follows:

• Late orNon-Filing – 10% of the tax due every month or part of the month that thereturn remains outstanding, minimum of $10.00 for a maximum of twenty-four (24)months.
• Late or Non-Payment – a charge of 1.5% per month on all unpaid balance from the time itwas submitted to date of payment.
• Failure toFile a return – A fine of at least $10,000 will be charged if taxpayers fail toreturn a file or two year imprisonment.

Taxation to Non-Residents

All non-CARICOM residents, who have any taxable receipts originating from Belize, or in respect of any service provided in Belize, are required to pay business taxes as follows:.

Generally CARICOM residents pay at 15% on the same services.

The Department of General Sales Tax is responsible for administration of the General Sales Tax pursuant to the General Sales Tax Act # 8 of 2005. Its main functions are revenue collection, registration of agents and auditing of agents’ accounts to safeguard revenueand ensure compliance.

The Government of Belize implemented the General Sales Tax (GST) on 1st of July 2006. GST is referred to as a Tax on consumer spending, collected in stages; that is, at the point of importation and on business transactions when goods change hands or services are performed.

Registration

A business that makes or intends to make taxable supplies, that is Sales or gross revenues of $75,000 or more per anum must register for GST. Where the business has been in operation for less than 12 months and the average taxable sales or revenues is $6,250 or more per month over a period of four months, the business is deemed to be eligible for registration, and must register for GST. (download form)

Scope and Coverage

Generally, GST is chargeable on the supply of most goods and services within Belize, the only time this does not apply, is if the goods or services are either exempt or zero rated. Exempt supplies include financial services, some medicines and medical supplies for human use and supplies connected with agriculture. Some zero-rated supplies are rice, flour, bread, eggs, fresh meat, beans, sugar and baby formula as well as locally produced fresh fruits and vegetables. (View GST Exempt List).

Input Tax

When goods are imported or a purchase of a goods or service is done for your business, GST is chargeable on the transaction. GST on purchases is called input tax. This tax can then be recovered from the Department of GST when a GST return is filed.

Output Tax

When a product from your business is sold or in cases in which your business provides services consumers, if those goods or services are liable to GST, the final selling price charged on the good or service needs to incorporate GST. GST on sales is called output tax.

Completing the GST Return (download form)

The GST records simply consists of the tax invoices for each purchase and tax invoices and or tax receipts for each sale made during the tax period (from the first day of the calendar month to the last day of the calendar month). Information from the invoices and tax receipts are recorded in the GST purchase and GST sales journals. After the end of the month, the totals for the month are inserted into the relevant lines of the GST return.

Boxes 100 to 160 of the GST return is where a registered person will include all particulars of his/her output tax.

Boxes 200 to 295 of the GST return is where a registered person will include all particulars of his/her input tax.

The difference between output and input tax will represent the registered person’s tax liability or credit due for the particular tax period.

GST Visit

Registered business operations will be required to have available proper books and records of business transactions for audit by General Sales Tax Officers. Proper books and records include:

• The GST account
• Books of account (on paper or computer)
• Till tapes
• Credit and debit notes
• Tax invoices
• Bank statements
• Invoices
• Stock-on-hand records
• Vouchers
• Motor vehicle logbooks
• System and program documentation that describes the accounting system
• Charts and codes of account
• Any other documents that verify transactions or entries in any books of account

For Further Information Contact:
The GST Office
Commissioner of Sales Tax
Government Administration Bldg
Mahogany Street
Belize City
Tel: 501 -222-5574 or 501-222-5579
Fax: 501 -222-5513
Web: http://www.gst.gov.bz/index.html
Email:  generalsalestax@gst.gov.bz

The Land and Surveys Department, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE) has prime responsibility for all aspects of land tenure in Belize. The department’s primary functions are:

• Management and allocation of national lands
• Registration of Land Tenure
• Authentication of Plans for alllegal surveys
• Sub-division of lands
• Valuation of Lands
• Land Use Planning
• Land Information Management

Structure of the Department

The department is headed by the Commissioner of Land and Surveys, who is guided by the relevant Acts. The Commissioner is supported by two Deputy Commissioners who assist by dealing with technical matters regarding land tenure, policy implementation, and related administrative issues.

To effectively administrate each function, the department is organized into “Sections” and services are delivered through the following Sections:

National Estate

Processing of application of national land, land transfers and other related activities

Surveys and Mapping

Approval of plans and map creation, adjustments and permission to survey

Land Information Center

Manages the department’s GIS and provides maps and statistics to internal and external customers

Valuation

Determination of values for land

Revenue

Collects revenue generated by the department’s activities

Land Registry – titles

Registration of transactions in land within compulsory registration areas (Land Registry) and other unregistered lands (Land Titles)

Physical Planning

Responsible for approval of sub-divisions plans and promotion of National land use planning network

Each section is further supported by six district lands offices whose main functions are to collect taxes and rents, accept applications for land related services, and assist in settling land disputes. Though each section has a specific focus,the activities are inextricably linked and sections are dependent on each other to provide the required services to the public.

The department performs its functions in accordance the following principal acts and the regulations made there-under;

• Bills of Sale
• General Registry
• Land Acquisition (Public Purpose)
• Land Acquisition (Promoters)
• Land Adjudication
• Land Surveyors
• Land Tax
• Land Utilization
• Registered Lands
• National Lands
• Private works construction
• Administration of Estates
• Law of Property
• Strata Titles Registration

Courtesy: World Bank’s Doing Business Report

Registering Property in Belize

Land Tax

This tax is collected by the Department of Lands, and is assessed based on the unimproved value of the land. The table below details the values for each district represented in Belize Dollars ($BZD).  Land is taxed at the rate of 1%.

Stamp Duty/Transfer Tax

Land Tax or Stamp duty or Transfer tax is governed by the Stamp Duties Act, Chamber 64 of the Laws of Belize. This tax is payable collected to the Department of Lands, and is assessed based on the unimproved value of the land.  Both Nationals and foreigners are required to pay 5% of the value of the land. If the value of the land is below US$10,000, then the land is tax exempt.

The table below provides a schedule of fees based on the type of transaction for acquiring land.

Property Tax

Property tax is levied and controlled by the respective city councils in each district.Within the City of Belmopan the rate of property tax is set at 2% of the site value as assessed by the Belmopan City Council. On the other hand, the Belize City Council utilizes the rate of 2.5% of the assessed value.

Municipal Garbage Disposal Rates

The Ministry of Labour, Local Government and Rural Development in accordance with the Town Councils (Control of Refuse) By-Laws 2005 (Statutory Instrument No. 13 of 2005) has declared the following rates for the collection of garbage for 2011-12.