GREAT BAY--Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs says St. Maarten must strengthen tax compliance if government is to fund essential public services, while acknowledging that outdated and disconnected government systems are making it difficult to determine exactly how much tax is outstanding and how much is realistically collectible.
Speaking during a radio interview Friday with Lady Grace, Gumbs was asked to provide figures showing the amount of outstanding taxes, how much had been recovered in 2026 and what additional revenue government expects to collect through improved enforcement.
The Minister said she could not responsibly provide precise figures because the systems used by the Tax Administration and Receiver are not sufficiently integrated.
“Our systems are not up to date,” Gumbs said, explaining that the systems used by the Tax Office and Receiver “don’t speak to each other,” making it difficult to retrieve and consolidate accurate information.
She said the problem also affects government’s ability to respond quickly when Parliament requests financial information.
“The data is something that I can’t easily access and provide,” Gumbs said, adding that she therefore could not give accurate figures during the interview on the total outstanding tax position.
The shortcomings identified by Gumbs are consistent with the Finance Ministry’s ongoing effort to modernize the tax administration. Government has previously said it is working toward a new integrated tax IT system and modernization of tax processes, while acknowledging limitations in existing procedures and systems.
Gumbs: Enforcement is not targeting one group
Despite the limitations in the systems, Gumbs said government continues to pursue tax compliance and rejected the perception that enforcement efforts are aimed at selected groups.
She referred to a compliance exercise earlier this year involving the Tax Office, SZV and other government entities, saying the objective was to ensure that persons and businesses meet their obligations.
According to Gumbs, she has been assured that enforcement is not selective.
“They’re going after everybody. No one, no stone is left unturned,” Gumbs said.
The Minister said she does not want government’s compliance efforts characterized as an attack on taxpayers.
“It’s not about attacking. It’s about making sure that you are compliant,” she said.
Gumbs stressed that the underlying principle is that everyone should contribute what is legally due, while government also has a responsibility to improve its own systems and make dealing with the public more efficient.
She said taxpayers are entitled to expect clearer, more transparent and easier government services in return, noting that residents frequently complain about delays and repeated visits required for services such as passports, identification cards and driver’s licences.
Taxes pay for services people expect
Gumbs linked the compliance drive directly to government’s ability to provide services, arguing that tax collection cannot be separated from the public’s expectations for education, healthcare, safety and other government responsibilities.
She said her message to taxpayers is not simply that government wants to collect money, but that public services require revenue.
“I am saying pay your taxes so that you can get the things that you deserve to have on St. Maarten,” Gumbs said.
Healthcare was among the examples she highlighted. Gumbs noted that government carries significant costs when residents require medical treatment abroad, including situations where a patient must travel with another person for assistance.
“Those are fees that have to be paid. The government does that,” she said.
She also pointed to public safety, saying the country expects the St. Maarten Police Force to have the personnel and equipment necessary to protect the population.
Those services, she said, “come with a price” and ultimately have to be financed through government revenue.
“These are the things that have to be paid, and it has to be paid how? By the taxes that we pay,” Gumbs said.
The Minister also connected tax revenue to education and other government responsibilities during the wider interview, stressing that public funds are needed to support healthcare, education and the safety and maintenance of the country’s infrastructure.
Compliance must be matched by fairness
While defending stronger collection, Gumbs also acknowledged problems created by government’s own administrative shortcomings.
She pointed to situations in which taxpayers receive three or four assessments in close succession because of delays and backlogs, but are then expected to settle those obligations within a short period.
Gumbs said she does not consider that fair.
She has previously introduced a temporary expansion of payment arrangements for outstanding individual income tax assessments from nine months to 24 months, saying compliance and fair collection practices must operate together. The measure remains in effect through December 31, 2026.
Her position, she said, is that taxpayers have responsibilities, but government must also make the system workable.
Gumbs said residents should pay their fair share, while government must improve transparency, efficiency and access to services.
The Finance Minister’s broader message was that stronger enforcement and modernization must proceed together: government needs the revenue necessary to provide services, but it must also repair the systems responsible for assessing, collecting and reporting that revenue.
