ONAT has warned that there is just over a month left to file taxes. Only 25% have paid

Cuba is currently experiencing its tax filing season. Till now only 25% of the taxpayers have paid the tax corresponding to the year 2023.

Therefore, the Office of National Tax Administration (ONAT) warns about tax filing deadlines.

The deadline for this is 30th April this year. Failure to do so in a timely manner will result in associated troublesome fines and even jail sentences.

Marie Blanca Ortega Barredo, chief executive of ONAT on the island, said 464,946 natural persons have to declare taxes. Official data shows that as of March 13, only 116,416 people have done so.

The main achievers are from the special municipalities of Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Matanzas, Villa Clara, Camagüey, Holguín and Isla de la Juventud.

However, the other side of the coin are: Havana, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Ávila, Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo. In all cases they are below the national average, which is 25%.

Self-Employed Workers and MSMEs

Most are self-employed, specifically 420,090. The rest are members of the artistic and agricultural sectors. For example, the situation is worse here; Only 18% of the 37,323 registered artistes have submitted the affidavit.

Ortega Barredo recalled the importance of paying taxes, as they are “the main source of income for the state budget.” It was estimated that $338,999 million Cuban pesos would be collected from taxes, fees, contributions and other non-tax contributions by 2024.

“There is therefore a need for every taxpayer, both natural and legal, to contribute and fulfill his civic duty in the established amount, terms and conditions. Only in this way will we be able to capture that income.

If you fail to meet the established deadlines, the first remedy is to impose a surcharge; A type of penalty for late payment. If this is the situation then non-paying taxpayers may have to go to jail.