WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao Tax Department reports that tax revenues for January 2025 exceeded projections by 4.5 million guilders. Compared to January 2024, total tax revenue increased by 200,000 guilders, while premium contributions fell by 1.5 million guilders.
Revenue from wage tax in January amounted to just over 50 million guilders, marking a decline of more than 6 million guilders compared to the same month last year. This drop is attributed to the exceptionally high wage tax revenues in January 2024, which resulted from the indexation of civil servant salaries in December 2023.
However, sales tax revenues increased by nearly 4.5 million guilders year-on-year, totaling over 66 million guilders, with 14 million guilders collected through customs. The Tax Department notes that a new policy allowing businesses with a turnover between 30,000 and 75,000 guilders to file quarterly tax returns will affect monthly tax revenues starting in February.
Revenue from motor vehicle tax (MRB) dropped by 6 million guilders compared to January 2024, when over 8 million guilders were collected. This decline is due to a delayed start in the sale of MRB stickers, an issue the Tax Department expects to resolve in February and March.
Additionally, property tax (OZB) slightly declined, with 3.7 million guilders collected in January 2025, down from 3.9 million guilders in January 2024. The Tax Department is currently processing overdue property tax assessments for the years 2021 to 2024.
Despite the exceptionally high tax revenues recorded in January 2024, the Tax Department considers it a positive development that January 2025 has reached a comparable level.