• Submitted by: manso
• Business and Economy
• 05 / 23 / 2011

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The Cuban government will completely overhaul the country’s tax system, Vladimir Requeiro, deputy chief of the Oficina Nacional de Administración Tributaria (ONAT), announced on state TV.

The overhaul of the tax law of 1994 is occurring as the number of self-employed Cubans is skyrocketing. As of early May, more than 300,000 Cubans were licensed to operate small businesses, up from 130,000 in October last year, when the government began issuing self-employment licenses. Officials announced in May that all private businesses will be allowed to hire; however, a 313-point document outlining economic changes outlines progressive employment taxes that increase with the number of employees of a company.

According to the “Guidelines” document, the new businesses must pay 25 to 50 percent taxes on profits, 10 percent sales or service tax, 25 percent employment tax, and 25 percent social security contribution.

Requeiro said that tax rates will be according to income bracket, and that agricultural producers benefit from a special tax system to stimulate food production.

Most Cubans have never had to pay taxes. Even so, Cuban economists expect the government to collect hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenues this year from private businesses.

Source: www.cubastandard.com/2011/05/22/tax-system-to-get-complete-overhaul/