I have been reading a lot about how corrupt the Belizean Social Security System is.
If I move to Belize and build a hotel. Would I have to pay Social Security for my housekeeping, bartenders, cooks, ect. if I hire them under a 6 month or 1 year contract.

Yes for the employees, but no for yourself-its a voluntary pay as an owner.

I had been told that if you hire a contractor to do the building that he is in charge of paying the Social Security for the employees.
I had figured that if you contract out the housekeeping they would be in charge of paying the SS for whoever works for them.
There has got to be a way to beat the system. I hate all the paperwork.

Oh sorry, I misunderstood the question. I thought you were asking advice on how to do this legal. My mistake. I don't have any system-beating advice. I believe the tax structure in Belize is so easy to handle and much less complicated than in the U.S. or Canada, I have no complaints.

The system was devised as a safety net to protect the population. Not sure why you would want to dodge your legal or moral obligations to your community, even taking the massive pilfering into consideration. Just read about the Bush plan to allow US workers to divert some SS payments for private investments. Some economist think this will cripple US SS,which will bottom out for baby boomer retirement payments. Dodge those payments too? I pay it and hope and vote for the best. Sorry, I'll tie my high horse to the post.

Contracting services through an outside vendor isn't necessarily an attempt to dodge obligations, social security or otherwise.

It's done routinely all over the world. Usually, the reason behind it is to reduce paperwork and provide more flexibility to staff up or staff down without having to hire or fire. The tradeoff is that it will cost more than if you hired directly, but you reduce the hassle factor.

Most any temp service works this way.

While it may not be common in Belize, it certainly is done in some situations. For example, if in Belize you hire a builder to build your house for a specified price and the builder has employees who work on your job sometimes, you don't pay the social security for these workers -- the builder does (or should.)

The people doing the work are employees of the vendor, which pays social security and other taxes and may also provide other benefits for the workers.

--Lan Sluder

I see no reason to outsource this as it takes literally 5 minutes to complete returns monthly for employees.

As far as owners paying you do have to pay if your company employs you as an employee if you are merely a self empoyed person you do not have to pay

however all that does nothing to make you feel better when you have total incompetants managing the investment of the money and borrowing millions to connected govement persons at the expense of the common person.

Ah well guess that goes with living paradise but still hard to take when you know you are paying to support bogus investments

regards

Gaz

The BZ tax laws state that after 60 days doing work for the same company, a (sub) contractor actually becomes an employee making all involved liable for the normal 25% after $19,800 income tax.

The GOB is broke, they will go after every cent they can. Also, they interput the tax laws in their favor, no matter how it reads. Belize is a small country, believe me they will eventually find and get their piece.

HELLO EVERYONE..

I'LL BE NEWCOMER TO BELIZE. I'M GOING TO BE A [email protected]

"Pigtail" - all this country needs is another "thief" we have plenty of our own -so please "F*** Off" somewhere else.