KRALENDIJK – On Thursday, the Court of First Instance of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba (“the Court”) convicted a construction company director for failing to maintain proper accounting records and for not providing required information to the Tax Administration Caribbean Netherlands (“the Tax Administration”). These offenses are classified as tax crimes.
The Court imposed a fine of USD 1,120, half of which is conditional. The sentence aligns with the prosecutor’s request, who decided to reduce the penalty due to the lengthy duration of the case.
Under the director’s leadership, the company failed to keep and maintain complete financial records for several fiscal years. In addition, the company did not fully provide the mandatory information to the Tax Administration inspector, which led to the submission of incorrect tax returns.
In response to these inaccurate tax filings, the Tax Administration issued corrections and administrative fines to the company. Because the false returns were directly related to the failure to comply with bookkeeping and reporting obligations, the director was separately prosecuted on criminal grounds.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Caribbean Netherlands (OMB BES), failing to meet these obligations severely hampers the Tax Administration’s ability to perform its oversight duties. Proper and complete record-keeping and timely, accurate information are essential for effective and fair taxation.
“When a taxpayer does not comply, the Tax Administration cannot perform its duties properly,” the OMB stated. “This leads to higher inspection costs, less efficient taxation, and poses a risk to Bonaire’s public finances. It also causes an imbalance in resource allocation, resulting in delays in other cases.”
