Archived Articles

More than 20 Customs Officials have participated in the National Workshop on Harmonized Commodity Coding System (HS) in Port Vila, Vanuatu. 

Three pacific island countries have participated at the Asia Pacific Trade Facilitation Forum (APTFF2014) in Bangkok, Thailand, together with the Head of Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO).

Rates & Taxes would like to remind all turnover taxpayers that this month is the last quarter in which turnover tax is due. Turnover tax is governed under the Business License Act [CAP 249] and is charged at the rate of 5% whereby returns & payments are to be made on or before the following dates.

The VAT Office commenced a blitz on FOC’s provided by the wholesalers to retailers, for example a retailer buys 100 cartons of Tuna and gets 5 cartons free of charge. In this situation the 5 cartons given free is not regarded as a gift or a supply of promotional items for VAT purposes.The 5 cartons given free of charge are deemed taxable supply and VAT must be accounted for by the supplier in the appropriate VAT returns. 

In this article the VAT Office explains the procedure and requirements to obtain a VAT zero rated certificate for an Approved Aid Project.

The effect of zero-rating is that as VAT is charged at the rate of zero percent, there is no VAT component in the price of the zero-rated taxable supplies. However, as the supplies are taxable supplies, input tax credits are available on expenses incurred in deriving the taxable income. 

We issue this notice to formally advice all valued government stakeholders that Mr. Benjamin MALAS has been appointed as Director of the Department of Customs & Inland Revenue as of 18th of September, 2014. 

Majority of small businesses (taxis, bus service, public transports, retail outlets, kava nakamals, handicrafts markets, takeaways and many others) under the threshold of 4 million are yet to register for business license this year with appropriate authorities being the Department of Customs and Inland Revenue for businesses with the 3 municipalities, and the Provincial Councils for businesses within the 6 provinces.

Unlike taxable supplies (including zero-rated supplies) exempt supplies are goods and services which are not subject to VAT and not included in the VAT return.

Customs penalize Businessman for attempting to export Sandalwood without an export permit On Friday 5th September 2014, a local businessman in Port Vila was issued a penalty notice by Customs for attempting to sell sandalwood to the crews of the visiting Chinese floating hospital, the Ark Peace.

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is a multilateral environmental agreement that Vanuatu signed and ratified in 1994.

Collecting over vt11.9billion of Government revenue, protecting our borders and being the major Government authority to facilitate trade is not a very easy task especially when you have limited Human resource and limited budget to operate with. The Department of Customs and Inland Revenue (DCIR) therefore has to act smarter, not necessarily harder, to achieve these three major goals.

As part of its ongoing modernization efforts, the Department of Customs and Inland Revenue (DCIR) has made the commitment to link up its Lenakel office, on the island of Tanna, onto the i-Gov network. This connection went live on 22^nd of August 2014 following DCIR IT teams’ visit to the island, specifically to implement this job. 

The skipper of a yacht of French nationality was penalized by Customs in Santo for calling into the Port of Luganville unannounced. The yacht arrived in the Port of Luganville on Thursday 14th August 2014 from Noumea New Caledonia with four crews of French nationalities onboard. 

The skipper of a yacht of French national was penalised by Lenakel Customs for calling into the undeclared port of Port Resolution on the island of Tanna unannounced. The vessel was on its way from Tarawa, Kiribati to Bundaberg, Australia on 5th August 2014.