Two Citizens of Santa Clara, Cuba Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion
Two citizens of Santa Clara, Cuba, have been sentenced to prison for tax evasion, with the amount defrauded exceeding six million Cuban pesos. The sentences were made public on the Facebook profile of the National Tax Administration Office (ONAT) of the municipality.
While the identities and activities of the defendants were not revealed, it was disclosed that one of them was sentenced to three years behind bars for defrauding $4,978,429.71 CUP. The other person guilty of tax evasion must serve four years in prison for evading the payment of $1,110,534.51 CUP and is also obliged to “repair” the material damage caused through a payment of $1,000,270.64 CUP.
The ONAT in Santa Clara also announced that from January to October of this year, six complaints were filed with the Municipal Prosecutor’s Office, with the amount defrauded totaling $11,011,959.08 CUP. In all cases, those involved in crimes of this type have already been prosecuted and punished in accordance with established law.
A year ago, Cuba restricted the exit of the country to people who had significant debts with the ONAT. The tax authorities prohibit leaving the Island until debts with the State are settled. To meet this objective, ONAT signed an agreement with the Directorate of Identification, Immigration and Foreigners (DIIE) of the Ministry of the Interior, protected by Law No.113 of the Tax System.
The rule empowers the ONAT to impose sanctions on taxpayers who do not comply with the payment of their taxes, including surcharges, fines, and non-pecuniary actions such as the seizure of bank accounts, closure of establishments, and withdrawal of tax incentives.
Last October, the government prevented a taxpayer from Sancti Spíritus who owed nine million pesos in taxes from leaving the country. These actions are clear examples of Cuba’s actions against those who commit tax evasion.