Tax in Antigua and Barbuda

Who is the tax authority and where do filings live?

Antigua and Barbuda's Inland Revenue Department (IRD) under the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Governance administers Antigua and Barbuda's tax system [SC1]. Substantive law: Income Tax Act Cap 212, ABST Act 2007, International Business Corporations Act (as reformed by Companies (Amendment) Act 2019 — Economic Substance), and successive amendments. Antigua and Barbuda is a CARICOM, OECS, ECCU, CARIFORUM, and AfCFTA-observer member.

What is the tax year and when are returns due?

Individual tax year is the calendar year. No personal income tax returns (PIT abolished 2016) [SC1]. Corporate annual returns due 31 March for prior fiscal year. ABST monthly returns. Provisional CIT through quarterly installments.

Who is an Antiguan tax resident?

Residency framework largely irrelevant for personal direct-tax purposes given zero-PIT framework [SC2]. Corporate residency: ordinarily resident in Antigua and Barbuda or with central management and control there.

What are the personal income tax rates?

No personal income tax (PIT abolished by Income Tax (Amendment) Act 2016 effective 1 April 2016) [SC1]. Education Levy 2.5 percent + Medical Benefits Scheme 3.5 percent + Social Security 7 percent on wages.

How does Antigua and Barbuda's corporate tax work?

CIT 25 percent flat for resident companies [SC2]. International Business Companies framework: post-2018 reform under Companies (Amendment) Act 2019 requires Economic Substance — IBCs reduced rate framework retained 10 percent for qualifying international-business operations. Withholding on dividends to non-residents 25 percent (treaty-reduced where applicable). Pillar Two not yet transposed. Tax losses 6 years.

What about ABST?

ABST 17 percent under ABST Act 2007 (replaced prior Consumption Tax framework) [SC3]. Reduced 12.5 percent on hotel accommodation. Zero-rated on exports.

How are cryptoassets taxed?

Eastern Caribbean Central Bank advisory: cryptoassets cautioned [SC2]. Where declared, gains under existing income-tax categories. DCash CBDC participation through ECCB framework.

What is the treaty network and what are the audit triggers?

Antigua and Barbuda has approximately 5 active double tax treaties [SC4]. MLI not yet ratified. CARICOM Multilateral Tax Convention. Standard SOL 7 years.

What are the common penalties and pitfalls for foreigners?

Penalty framework: late filings, failure to file, incorrect declarations [SC5]. Common pitfalls: (1) PIT abolished 2016 effective 1 April 2016 — substantial framework simplification but Education Levy + Medical Benefits + Social Security still apply; (2) IBC framework reformed post-2018 under Companies (Amendment) Act 2019 with Economic Substance requirement; (3) post-2018 EU Code of Conduct compliance framework; (4) Citizenship-by-Investment Programme framework with relevant tax-residence implications; (5) Pillar Two not yet transposed; (6) very limited treaty network (5 DTCs); (7) MLI not yet ratified; (8) anglophone tradition; (9) AfCFTA-observer member; (10) parallel CARICOM/OECS/ECCU/CARIFORUM framework membership; (11) XCD-denominated tax base with 2.7:1 USD peg under ECCU; (12) tourism-and-offshore-financial-services economy concentration.