We all know December is not August, but it seems confusion arose when GST Relief went into effect on August 1, 2025. How so? GST was removed from food on December 19, 2024,[1] so it was curious that some expected lower food prices in August. As groceries also remained exempt from duty adjustments, GST relief therefore eased remaining goods, which was needed more than ever given US dynamics.[2]
December is Not August…
The AUF presented its GST relief plan in August 2024 to exempt all goods at the ports – at retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and in restaurants. Real relief, even helping tourism and restaurant tips.
After saying relief couldn’t work, the last administration exempted food in December. But that half-measure just allowed government to continue meddling in the private sector. ’Seems they tried fooling people about relief on foods that were largely exempt in the first place and kept GST on sweets.
So. When this August rolled around, why the foolishness about expecting food to drop another 13%? Why a show of demanding price lists and inspecting grocers? Yes, other things were no longer taxed 13% at grocers – from cleaning and paper supplies, to snacks, housewares, and health and beauty products. But why the tomfoolery about food, tinkering with exhausted businesses as if people lacked the sense they always had when shopping?
Fool Me Once, Shame on You…
Saying relief couldn’t work and then exempting food was not the first time the last administration took the people for fools. No. They have expected us to ignore the English adage warning wariness again and again. Since the 1600s, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me” has made common sense to every common man (and woman!)[3]
After the previous incumbents made a policy assumption to enact GST [4], the last administration won the 2020 election by promising alternatives. Yup. They fooled the people until we learned that GST is not an “alternative” to GST.[5] Wow. Who knew?
In fact, the 2020 election was the first time they took the people for fools, but the 2025 election suggested most people were fooled only once. With many apparent attempts along the way.
Port Fees, 44% More Tax – and Global Inflation!
Early on, they approved drastic increases in port fees.[6] As higher fees intensified impacts from historic US inflation, they put 13% GST into effect. They tried to fool everyone by saying it was “just 4% more”[7] – while compounding those fees with GST. How?
Consider a $1,000EC appliance that attracted $90 of IGT. It would attract $130 of GST when imposed, which is $40 more than $90, or 44% more tax. Whereas 4% more tax would have been $3.60 – not $40.00!
Implementing GST in July 2022 was especially cruel. That 44% topped 9% US inflation as if adding 53% more tax, not “just” 4%. Then, they tried to fool us as if “overperformance” wasn’t tax gouging!
“Broad Based Tax” – A Broad Based Delusion
A broad-based delusion is that “broad based taxes” are fair when taxing things – but not people – in equal measure. “Broad based taxes” like GST inflict the most harm on people who earn the least. How? Anyone living paycheck to paycheck was forced to sacrifice 13% of their income to pay GST on all they consumed – forcing many to work more, just to stay even. Wealthier individuals living on half their income would forfeit ~6-7% of their pay to buy the same goods. And worse. The last administration demanded 13% more on every purchase from everyone – except accommodations investors!
With marketing levy plus Accommodation tax, GST was just a new name for the same tax. Communications tax dropped from 15% to 13% GST, while they increased Environmental tax from 7% to 13% GST on ANGLEC. But GST gave new tax advantages to investors ? beyond their MOUs! Ta dah!
Even now, as hoteliers collect tourists’ dollars for General Services Tax on accommodations, they can subtract their utilities and services taxes ? and keep that money! That means GST paid by people with three kids and three jobs is still subsidising their claim backs. Whereas investors previously passed along tourists’ Accommodation Tax without keeping a slice for themselves. Sound “fair” to you?
So. While the last administration gave random welfare coupons after taking far more in GST, they also tried to fool people into thinking electricity vouchers weren’t paid from their own pockets. That is, while blocking renewables for real relief, they were issuing humiliating handouts regardless of need.
Now ~30% Less Tax is Suddenly “9% More”?
And just as they tried to fool us about their increase from 9% to 13%, they’re trying again! Wait. If they said 44% more tax was “only 4% more” when they imposed GST, how can a decrease to 9% from 13% be “9% more”? (Notably, in reverse, 4% is actually 31% less tax: 13-9 = 4 and 4/13 = 31%)
In fact, restoring ~9% duty is like before IGT and GST – plus exempting food: it was always just duty at the port, not on the final price of anything. And businesses paid their own taxes on utilities, just like everyone else. But they keep trying.
So, Who’s Fooling Who…?
So, it seems the only people they fooled twice didn’t see that GST “overperformance” was tax gouging for their gluttonous spending. If they had “curbed” spending as promised, GST could have been fully removed from everything – restoring only Accommodation tax. And sooner with blessings of AI with more reserves to withstand global shocks.
But… Have US dynamics driven a wedge between our government and our private sector – bullying Anguilla businesses and fooling people into expecting them to absorb impacts of tariffs and mass deportation of a workforce affecting our prices beyond anyone’s control?[2] Why are businesses being blamed if forced to pass along taxes and fees for a massive government expansion? But for tax gouging, would any business be seeking tax advantages taken from vulnerable households?
Yet the roots of such deceptions are deep and raw – and fester in the new General Services Tax law. The first GST reading was pushed to the House floor while many sought first doses of Astra Zeneca[8]. Masks were required. Borders were closed. People were out of work. Only weeks after second doses, that devastating, culturally intrusive tax was passed by the AG and DG overriding elected ministers’ votes. Global cases were approaching 200 million. And having surpassed 4 million deaths, Covid took yet another 64,000 lives the same week GST was undemocratically enacted 2021.[9] They fooled the People once – in the grim shadows of a pandemic. So. Be forewarned and be not fooled again. GST relief is real. And December is not August.
Repeal GST – and pass a balanced budget bill. Now.
This article reflects issues raised on July 5, 2021, at the House Select Committee on GST Public Hearing.
[1] https://ird.gov.ai/News/Article/Press_Release_-_Stakeholder_Notice_-_Zero_Rated_Food_Items_ [Dec 17, 2024]; [2a] https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/20/business/grocery-store-prices-kroger-coupons ;[3] https://donmcminn.com/2024/05/fool-me-once-shame-on-you-fool-me-twice-shame-on-me/; [4] 2019 Budget, p. 8; [5] Appropriation Act (2021) 2020, passed 29 Dec 2020; [6] https://anguillaports.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2021-Sea-Ports-Tariff-Amendments.pdf; [7] https://theanguillian.com/2022/03/just-the-facts-will-gst-cause-prices-of-goods-and-services-to-increase-or-decrease/; [8] https://theanguillian.com/2021/03/power-to-the-people-gst-rolled-back-to-july-2022/; [9] https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/weekly-epidemiological-update-on-covid-19—3-august-2021.