Sint Maarten tax glossary

The Sint Maarten wage tax, withheld by the employer from each payslip and remitted to the Tax Office. It is the tax half of what employers commonly call payroll deductions; the social premiums are the other half.

The body administering Sint Maarten's social insurance premiums. SZV is not one deduction but a set of separate premiums, each with its own purpose, wage base, and split between what is withheld from the employee and what the employer pays on top.

The old-age pension premium, one of the SZV premiums handled through payroll.

The survivors premium, covering dependants. One of the SZV premiums handled through payroll.

The long-term and exceptional care premium, one of the SZV premiums handled through payroll.

The health and sickness insurance premium. ZV also governs how sick leave benefits operate when an employee is unable to work.

The accident insurance premium, one of the SZV premiums handled through payroll.

The vacation allowance a Sint Maarten employee accrues in addition to base salary and vacation days.

Severance pay, the term used in the Dutch Caribbean framework for what an employer may owe when employment ends.

A 13th-month or year-end payment, common in Sint Maarten employment alongside base salary and vacation allowance.

The annual personal income tax return filed by Sint Maarten tax residents. Residents are required to file whether or not tax is owed.

Sint Maarten's turnover tax, known locally as BBO and commonly abbreviated TOT, charged at 5% on goods delivered and services supplied inside the territory. It is filed monthly.

The Sint Maarten corporate profit tax, filed annually by companies.

An incentive regime attaching conditions that must be met on application and maintained for years afterwards. Most failures occur later, when a project changes and nobody reassesses the conditions.

A Sint Maarten public limited company. One of the three primary entity types, each with distinct tax treatment, governance requirements and typical use cases.

A Sint Maarten private limited company. One of the three primary entity types, each with distinct tax treatment and governance requirements.

A Sint Maarten foundation. It has no shareholders and is governed by a board, which is what distinguishes it structurally from an NV or BV.

A foundation used to hold and manage investment assets, separating legal ownership from economic benefit. Its effectiveness depends on genuine governance and on how other connected jurisdictions treat it.

Sint Maarten's preferential tax regime for qualifying relocating individuals, delivering a flat 10% rate on worldwide income in exchange for becoming a genuine resident. Eligibility conditions must be met on application and maintained afterwards.

The temporary residence permit that is the standard pathway for financially independent individuals relocating to Sint Maarten.

Where a person is treated as tax resident, assessed against each jurisdiction's own tests rather than assumed from where they spend most of the year. Day count is one factor among several and often not the decisive one.

Income arising anywhere, as opposed to income arising only in Sint Maarten. Which basis applies depends on residency status, and relief from double taxation may be available where more than one jurisdiction has a claim.

The annual land tax levied on Sint Maarten property owners, based on the assessed value of the property.

The tax arising on the transfer of Sint Maarten real property.

A US reporting obligation covering foreign financial accounts, which continues to apply to US citizens and green card holders resident in Sint Maarten.

US legislation requiring reporting of foreign financial assets, applying to US persons regardless of where they live.

A tax assessment issued by the authority. An assessment starts the clock on the window in which a formal objection can be made, which is why the date on it matters as much as the amount.

A formal objection against an assessment. Objection windows are strict, and a right lost to timing is generally not recoverable by the strength of the underlying argument.

The natural person or persons who ultimately own or control an entity, looked through rather than stopping at the immediate shareholder. Declared as part of onboarding.

Broadly, someone holding or having held a prominent public function, together with immediate family and close associates. Being one is not an obstacle to engagement; it changes the checks required.