In what will likely be far from the last legal actions concerning unpaid Guam business taxes, the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Revenue and Taxation have gone to court in search of the missing revenue, to the tune of about $400,000.
The OAG Friday filed verified complaints in Guam Superior Court against the Verona Resort & Spa in Tamuning, which is said to have owed $324,473 to the government as of March and Antonio Macasaquit. Macasaquit, who does business as Captain Kid Cafe at both A.B. Won Pat International Airport and the Sateena Mall is named as delinquent about $59,000.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero promised both during her campaign and in her recent State of the Island Address that the agencies will be pursuing collections to the fullest extent of the law.
DRT has asked the court to issue an injunction or an order to stop business operations until the outstanding business privilege tax is paid. The sale of assets, including real property, is also a remedy available under the law.
“I want to thank the OAG and DRT teams for their hard work,” said DRT Director Dafne Mansapit-Shimizu. “We look forward to continued collaboration with the AG and will continue to refer cases to the AG for action.”
“Litigation is always a last resort. We encourage anyone who owes taxes to work with DRT to resolve their tax issues,” said Attorney General Leevin Taitano Camacho. “That being said, I hope this sends a clear message that the Government of Guam is serious about collecting taxes.”
In November last year, then Rev&Tax director John Camacho said approximately $161 million was owed to Guam. The tax amnesty program implemented last year netted $30 million.