Blz: Tax reduction for land owners

Didn't anybody tell Belizeans that raising taxes is the way to go?

The new amendments to the Land Tax reduce payments up to 50% for more than 2/3 of Belize’s landowners. That is the fact of the matter, despite the misleading rumors and deliberate misrepresentation by those with a shady political agenda. There is no new tax - land tax existed for decades. There are no ulterior motives - except to reduce payments for small landholders and make the system more transparent. There are no setbacks - the progressive steps now will eventually eliminate the old system and implement one that will benefit Belizeans.

So what exactly will Belizeans face with the new amendments to the land tax? For Florentina Gilharry of Xaibe Village, who owns 30 acres of land and had been paying $89.25 annually, she will now pay only $30.00 for land tax. Similarly, of the 70,000 landholders in Belize, 88.9% of these owners will see drastic reductions in their land taxes.

In an interview with the Minister of Natural Resources, Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Johnny Briceño, the remaining 11% of landholders have lived in the lap of luxury without onerous taxes for decades. According to the Minister, the implemented tax will not adversely affect small land holders but means higher taxes for the large and wealthy landowners: those controlling more than 30 acres of land. "It’s only fair that the bigger landowners pay more taxes. Most of these owners are wealthy and have the ability to pay," he said.

Democrats must love this last paragraph, though. How about tax equity based on acreage? 30 acres pays $30, 3,000 acres pays $3,000, and so forth. That way, nobody gets penalized and the land tax system is non-discriminatory.