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View Full Version : Proposed new tax on products supposedly eaten by the rich



NewsWhore
09-13-2012, 01:40 PM
The Central Bank, the Treasury and the Taxation Office (DGII) says that as part of the tax reform they need to find RD$60.20 billion, and they are seeking to raise RD$45.73 billion by introducing new taxes and the rest from administrative measures.

One of the ideas is to charge an 8% sales tax (ITBIS) on at least 78 fruit, vegetable and cereal products. The proposal suggests that the tax should not apply to a whole group of products, but to foods that are consumed by the rich and middle class and not usually eaten by the poor. The proposal would involve imposing an 8% tax, which is lower than the current 16% ITBIS tax rate, on certain products that are supposedly consumed mainly by the middle and upper classes, with many healthy foods being singled out.

The products they are considering are peanut oil, peanut butter, other edible oils, African palm oil, coconut oil, butter, molasses, icing sugar, sugar substitutes and liquid sugar.

The cereals include premium rice, wheat, rice and fruit cereals, corn flour, wheat germ, brown rice and semolina. The fruits include papaya, pineapple, apples, red grapes, strawberries, cantaloupe melon, sapodilla, mandarin oranges and pears. Other products on the list are plantain flour, evaporated milk, some types of cheese, and milk with added vitamins. Also disinfectants, fabric softeners, religious and self help books, ice creams, cakes, cookies, sliced bread, brown bread, cassava bread, cup cakes and pizza.

The list also includes whole wheat pasta, tagliatelle, lasagna, frozen fish fillets, steak, some types of fresh fish, goat, some types of ham, broccoli, beetroot, peppers, nutmeg, cress, aniseed and chickpeas. The proposed taxation would penalize consumers of healthy foods.

www.hoy.com.do/el-pais/2012/9/11/445974/Al-menos-78-productos-serian-gravados-con-8-del-ITBIS (http://www.hoy.com.do/el-pais/2012/9/11/445974/Al-menos-78-productos-serian-gravados-con-8-del-ITBIS)

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