The total amount of outstanding taxes, rents and fees owed to the state has risen to MVR 14.5 billion, according to the latest quarterly report by the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA).

The report shows the outstanding amount increased by MVR 600 million, during the first quarter of the year, rising from MVR 13.8 billion at the end of last year. Unpaid taxes accounted for the largest share of the outstanding amount.

Tax arrears increased from MVR 7.8 billion to MVR 8.2 billion during the quarter.
Of the total outstanding tax, MVR 3.5 billion is Goods and Services Tax (GGST). MVR 2.4 billion is income tax. MVR 1.6 billion is Tourism Goods and Services Tax (TGST).

Outstanding resort rent also increased during the quarter, rising from MVR 5.7 billion to MVR 6 billion.

Despite the increase in arrears, MIRA recovered MVR 2 billion in outstanding payments during the first three months of the year. The authority typically recovers unpaid amounts through enforcement measures, including issuing notices and freezing bank accounts.

The report also showed that the amount owed to the state by government-owned companies increased from MVR 2.4 billion to MVR 3.5 billion. Of that total, MVR 3.3 billion consists of unpaid tax liabilities.