New Bahamas Value-Added Tax

Recently, the Bahamian Government announced they would begin charging a 7.5% Value Added Tax (VAT) on most goods and services purchased in The Bahamas.

As a result of this new policy, guests to the Bahamas will begin to notice the 7.5% VAT added to purchases made in The Bahamas. This VAT also applies to purchases made on cruise ship private islands within the Bahamas, including spa services, merchandise, beverages and most rentals, including Beach Cabanas. Costs incurred on certain components of shore excursions from cruise ships are also subject to this VAT, so guests may expect a slight increase in the total cost of these experiences. The VAT does not apply to shipboard purchases.

For complete details, please visit the official Bahamas Government website and look for the VAT Tax link in the left column. Due to constantly changing links on their site, we are not directly linking to that page. Sorry for the inconvenience.