United States - IRS/Seniat steps up VAT enforcement, achieves 100% of September goal

Venezuela's National Customs & Tax Administration Service (Seniat) will today start the most strict plan it has to collect Value Added Tax (IVA).

During a special operation at the Sambil Mall in Caracas, Customs & tax national supervisor, Jose Vielma Mora said that the IRS/Seniat achieved 100% of its goal up to and including September and IVA collections will tightened through the remaining months of this year.

He added that he is about to hold a meeting with the main administrators of the entity in the country in order to start a plan of stepping up the tax collection.

The IRS/Seniat will visit companies that have presented smaller IVA returns as well as declaring less tax according to economic growth and cash flow.  "We do not want to show the lists or harm the image of any firm, we just want them to take responsibility and work with Seniat voluntarily."

Mora confirmed a strike by transport workers on the Colombia-Venezuela continues over the imposition of road toll in Colombia and that it is affecting merchandise entering Venezuela: "There is normal activity in Paraguachon (Zulia) and in Amparo (Apure) but traffic is stopped in San Antonio del Tachira, in Boca de Grita and Urena (Tachira)."

Likewise, he said that customs duties collection in San Antonio del Tachira continues as normal since there's plenty of merchandise in the warehouses.

"Up to now it has not been affected ... we have more than ten days in continued collection, but if the border is not opened in nine or ten days we'll start to suffer lack of collections estimated at around 3-5 billion bolivares a day."