Kingston, Jamaica – Three Jamaican businesses have been fined a combined $20 million after they were caught collecting General Consumption Tax (GCT) from customers without being legally registered to do so.
The companies involved are:
- New Panda Food Limited
- Bodyscape Rejuvenation Centre Limited
- Castillo Funny Club Entertainment
All were prosecuted by Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) through its Intelligence, Investigation and Enforcement Unit and Legal Team, under Section 56(5) of the GCT Act, which states it is an offence to collect GCT without being a registered taxpayer.
Case #1: New Panda Food Limited – $1M Fine
According to TAJ, between February 28 and March 12, 2025, New Panda Food Limited unlawfully charged customers GCT without proper registration. On July 23, 2025, the company, represented by director Dong Wang, pleaded guilty to two counts in the Sutton Street Tax Court.
The defense claimed the company, which started in 2023, had received bad advice but is now GCT-registered. A $1 million fine was imposed, with a 60-day prison sentence as the alternative if unpaid.
Case #2: Bodyscape Rejuvenation Centre – $3M Fine
The court heard that Bodyscape Rejuvenation, located on Mannings Hill Road in St Andrew, unlawfully collected GCT on February 26 and March 8, 2025.
Director Chantelle-Lee Barrett pleaded guilty to both charges. The company was fined $3 million, with the risk of 90 days’ imprisonment if the fine was not paid. TAJ has confirmed the fine was paid in full.
Case #3: Castillo Funny Club Entertainment – $17M Fine
Montego Bay businessman Wellington Amarico Castello Guerro, operating as Castillo Funny Club Entertainment, pleaded guilty in the St James Parish Court to 12 counts of collecting GCT without being registered.
TAJ reported that the offences occurred between 2020 and 2022, during which the business provided entertainment services to hotels in St James and Trelawny. Investigators uncovered significant underreporting and an estimated $15 million in unregistered GCT collected.
The court imposed a $17 million fine, with a six-month prison sentence for failure to pay. The fine was subsequently paid.
TAJ Issues Public Warning
Tax Administration Jamaica is reminding all business operators and self-employed individuals that GCT registration is mandatory once annual taxable turnover exceeds $15 million.
Additionally, businesses that collect taxes on behalf of the Government are legally obligated to remit those funds in full and on time. Failure to comply is a criminal offence.
Stay with McKoy’s News for more updates on this and other developing stories.
#McKoysNews #TAJ #GCT #TaxOffence #BusinessNews #JamaicaNews #Kingston #StJames #CourtNews
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