Guam News - Guam News

Guam - Freshman Senator Michael San Nicolas says its "bad practice" for the Department of Revenue and Taxation to waive monetary penalties owed to GovGuam.

In a release issued following the Friday oversight hearing he held on Rev & Tax, the Senator said its "bad practice" because of GovGuam's financial needs like fixing "broken police cars" paying "tax refunds, back increment pay, and school facilities in dire need of repair."

During that oversight hearing, Deputy Rev & Tax Director Marie Benito acknowledged that Rev & Tax has not launched an investigation, nor seized any property in more than 20 years, despite more than $100 million dollars in back taxes owed to GovGuam.

READ Senator San Nicolas' release below:

Senator San Nicolas holds oversight hearing with Department of Revenue and Taxation and addressed the waiving of penalties owed to the government

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1st, 2013

Senator Michael F.Q. San Nicolas in an oversight hearing with the Department of Revenue and Taxation discussed the department’s practice of waiving penalties rightfully owed to the government of Guam.

Guam Form 4571 is a one page form at the Department of Revenue and Taxation that waives monetary penalties and only shows an “authorized signature” as being necessary for approval.  Speaker Judith Won Pat asked DRT Deputy Direct Marie Benito if these penalties can be waived repeatedly, which Benito confirmed.

Senator San Nicolas says "With so many obligations outstanding like broken police cars, tax refunds, back increment pay, and school facilities in dire need of repair, the waiving of penalties these companies rightfully owed is bad practice.”

Senator San Nicolas also discussed customer service at DRT.  In a recent observation of wait times at the department, it was found that it was taking between 30 to 45 minutes of wait time in each line.  DRT Deputy Director Marie Benito stated that are being worked on and a lot of progress has been made.

Deputy Director Benito acknowledged that there are issues that the department must work on and Senator San Nicolas commended her and the employees in her department for their hard work and their continued diligence. Senator San Nicolas said that he was holding this oversight hearing as a baseline for a continued series of oversight hearings of the department and will follow up with all information requests made during the hearing, as well as progress reports.