Hello All.

I am looking for info on taxes, and how tax money is spent. I have wanted to leave the U.S. for many reasons, one being I do not want to fund weapons of mass destruction, and/or a massive military. I am currenlty doing that. Anyway.....

I would like to know how locals feel about the tax burden.


Here are a few good links I found:
http://www.doingbusiness.org/ExploreTopics/PayingTaxes/Details.aspx?economyid=97

Tax Burden in Jamaica
http://econpapers.repec.org/paper/aysispwps/paper0434.htm

John I hope you are a Jamaican,if you think you are running from USA taxes and not going to pay your fair share in Jamaica, please perish the thought, goverment manufactures nothing and take care of it citizen and obligation from taxes. Wherever you are, vote for the representative that are not getting too much tax burden on its citizen. If you are an American make sure you file your papers to be one before you get into immigration problems and deportation.
Just a thought

My dear, It is said that Jamaicans pay the most taxes in the entire world. We are heavily taxed. We have no control over what our tax dollar is used for. We have to plea and beg for years before one little piece of road is fixed. Our roads are not maintained. Our country should have a maintenance team who works non-stop but we are so used to our potholes it is unbelievable. Taxes are heavy anywhere you go. Please do not jump out of the frying pan, stay there or you will jump right in the fire. Take it from a tax sufferer. We are taxed from our salaries, we go to the store we are again taxed. We have to pay property tax, we have to pay motor-vehicle tax. It is just tax-tax-tax. Just stay where you are.

My problem isn't so much that I have to pay taxes, it is what they are used for.

I have noticed that Jamacians seem to pay a lot of taxes. I am wondering where all that tax money goes.

John,
the tax money is wasted here.

Roads are not repaired, schools and hospitals are not funded correctly, government employees from police to records clerks to motor vehicle liscense issuers often look bribes to do their jobs and supplement their income. So it is jumping out of the fire into the frying pan, but then again Jamaica isn't using the tax money to fund wars all over the earth so I don't blame you for the urge to ex-patriate to Jamaica.

John, we're also wondering what our taxes are spent on down here!

Have you noticed the discussion about the roads and canal NOT being fixed. If you're looking for a place that spends their tax dollars wisely, I don't think Jamaica is it.

Where does Jamaican tax payers money goes - it goes to provide big swear in bashment for the new prime minister, to cover up scandals within the various government ministries, it pays Cuban's to distribute light bulbs that were given as a "Gift", to assist with the formation of the Caribbean Court of Justice (which will never work), it buys SUV for various ministries. If you get what I am trying to say, it goes everywhere except for health services, road maintenance, education, disaster relief, etc.

It goes to service our enormous debt to the IMF, and we can thank our dearly departed hero and, ex prime minister Michael Manley for getting us into this disgusting mess.

At least 70% of Jamaica's budget goes on servicing debt. Not surprisingly this does not leave much for health, education, roads, etc. This situation is not the fault of Jamaican governments, such as the one led by Michael Manly (see link below), but is the result pressures imposed by the wealthy nations, e.g. unfair, biased trade agreements, tight monetary squeezes, spiraling interest payments, etc. Anyone who wants to understand how this has come about for Jamaica should see the documentary 'Life & Debt' (available on DVD). For information about the film and how to obtain a copy see http://www.lifeanddebt.org/about.html. This film is a 'must see' for anyone wanting to understand Jamaica's economic situation and how it's destiny is determined by the U.S. and other foreign economic agendas.
My feeling is that so much wealth was taken out of countries like Jamaica during the colonial days of slavery, it should be the richer nations who are now paying back debts to Jamaica and not the other way round.

I remember that when I watched iIfe and Debt I thought that it was very good at what it did, which was presenting one side of the story.

I agree with most of what it had to say and in general feel that the countries the world bank/IMF deals with get screwed. But I still have a nagging feeling that the documentary wasn't as balanced as it could have been and didn't present all sides equally.

Having said that, by all means watch it. Its a good education, especially when watching it with a group of politically savvy Rastas as I had the good luck to do.

-Eric

I would be interested in seeing your ideas of the other side of the story if you'd like to elaborate.