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Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. announced today the U.S. Department of Interior has awarded the Virgin Islands a $1,125,000 grant that will be used to shore up tax collection operations in the territory.
The grant from the Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs will help the Virgin Islands Internal Revenue Bureau improve its tax services by funding new equipment, paying for consultants and increasing the number of senior managers at the Bureau.
“This grant from the Department of Interior will benefit this territory by making sure our tax collection system is fairer, more efficient and more thorough,” de Jongh said.
The grant will be divided into three technology, information and training upgrades. It will fund important improvements for the Bureau's computer systems identified during an Internal Revenue Service Safe Guard review, and pay for IRS instructors to perform audit training in the territory.
“We are grateful for the continued support of Department of Interior Assistant Secretary Anthony Babauta in what I view as a collaborative partnership with the Bureau of Internal Revenue. These funds will assist BIR in the continued technical upgrades that will allow the BIR to more efficiently deliver services to the Virgin Islands taxpaying public,” IRB Director Claudette Watson Anderson said.
“The new tools purchased with this funding should increase efficiency, provide greater transparency, and reduce fraud,” said Assistant Secretary Babauta. “Governor de Jongh and I have been working closely to address many issues which face the USVI and I am pleased to be able to support this effort which strengthens and supplements the BIR’s efforts to improve the delivery of services while ensuring tax responsibilities are met and done so equitably.”
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