Pursuant to Guidelines provided by the Ministry of Finance, effective 31 January 2023, all condo-hotels and properties within a hotel rental pool will be required to pay a tax called a “Condo-Hotel Tax” to the Chief Valuation Officer by 31 January each year (during the initial year of 2023 this deadline has been extended to 31 March). Payment of this tax is required for the renewal of the hotel’s licence. The Condo-Hotel Tax only applies to units within either a condo-hotel or other hotel rental pool that do not report net VAT in excess of the Condo-Hotel Tax. Therefore, where the net VAT paid in respect of a particular unit exceeds the Condo-Hotel Tax applicable for that unit, no Condo-Hotel Tax would be payable on that unit.
If you are an owner of a condo-hotel property, we recommend that you contact your condo-hotel manager to determine if such tax is owed for the 2022 tax year.
Further information on the calculation and other aspects of this new tax can be obtained through the government’s website at https://inlandrevenue.finance.gov.bs/about-condo-hotel-tax/.
Author: Andrew G.S. O’Brien II | GSO Legal