The government's zero-percent Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST) initiative on essential food items and school supplies officially began today, offering households temporary relief from the cost of living. According to Antigua News Room, the measure runs on April 10 and 11, having been approved by Cabinet as a targeted effort to reduce the price of essential goods.
The Inland Revenue Department issued a notice confirming that all food items falling within tariff codes 1000 to 2501, as well as biscuits, qualify for the zero-rated tax break.
A comprehensive list of school supplies also falls under the initiative. Items included are pencils, markers, erasers, scissors, glue, pencil cases, construction paper, folders, binders, calculators, highlighters, shoes, crayons, coloured pencils, sharpeners, glue sticks, rulers, notebooks, index cards, binder sheets, pens, geometry sets, graph paper, school uniforms, school bags, art supplies, IT supplies, and home economics supplies.
Not all goods are covered under the measure, however. The Inland Revenue Department specified that beer and alcohol, tobacco, manufacturing extracts, animal feed, and live plants remain excluded and will not benefit from the zero-percent rate.
Businesses have been directed to account for qualifying sales using the zero-rated line on the ABST 03 form.
The initiative is expected to prompt a surge in consumer shopping activity over the two-day period, as residents move to take advantage of the short-term tax relief on everyday essentials.
