GAMING TAX IN ABEYANCE

Sebass Bastian through his company Island Luck filed an action in the courts to stop the implantation of the new tax on the grounds that it was discriminatory in itself and in its effect. The following announcement was made by the Government.

GOVT AGREES TO HOLD OFF ON NEW GAMING TAX PENDING COURT REVIEW

The government has agreed to further delay the imposition of the five percent stamp tax on gaming patrons and suspend the recently implemented sliding scale tax pending a Supreme Court hearing on October 5, Attorney General Carl Bethel confirmed today.

Attorneys for several web shop operators yesterday filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking leave for judicial review of the government’s stamp tax on gaming patrons and the new sliding scale gaming tax and will be seeking leave for a stay on both taxes.

The parties appeared before Supreme Court Justice Indra Charles this morning in an effort to get an injunction to block the implementation of the patron tax, which was expected to take effect tomorrow after several delays. The sliding scale tax took effect on July 1.

Following today’s hearing, Bethel said the government was “urged” to have further discussions with the web shop operations in a bid to iron out any areas of dispute.

Bethel, who said the government was only served notice last night, added that the crown could not adequately build its defense.

“No injunction has been issued…,” Bethel said.

“We’ve agreed that there would be an undertaking that the tax wouldn’t be imposed pending the hearing on the 5th of October and that is a courtesy that we extended to colleagues opposite but also to the court so that the court is able to effectively perform its function.”

The web shop owners contend that the government’s new tax on the domestic gaming industry was rushed, biased, and executed badly.