U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — In response to recent coverage by The Washington Post on the treatment of the U.S. Virgin Islands under the Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI) tax provision, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. issued the following statement clarifying the Territory’s position and efforts to amend what he calls a “longstanding injustice” to the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Economic Development Commission (EDC) program:
“This is a provision that didn’t exist before the tax law changed under the Obama administration. This change simply corrects what we believe was an oversight in the original bill. It penalized EDC beneficiaries and made offshore jurisdictions—like the Cayman Islands and other foreign tax shelters—more advantageous than our own U.S.-based program, particularly when U.S. partners were involved.
Under this flawed interpretation, U.S. citizens investing in the Virgin Islands were subject to an additional layer of taxation—effectively discouraging investment in an American jurisdiction. Ironically, the GILTI clause was aimed at preventing Americans from using foreign tax incentive programs to avoid U.S. taxes. We are not foreign. We are American. We should not fall victim to a law that was never intended to apply to us.
For the past three administrations, we have been working to fix this issue. Delegate Stacey Plaskett has been a tireless advocate on our behalf in Congress, ensuring our unique status is recognized and respected. It’s a complicated tax issue that many don’t fully understand, but this correction will make our EDC program more competitive, more resilient, and more aligned with the national interest of keeping investment within U.S. borders.”
Governor Bryan emphasized that the proposed correction to the GILTI provision in the current tax reform bill—referred to by some as the “Big Beautiful Bill”—represents a critical turning point for the Virgin Islands economy.
“This isn’t about creating a loophole—it’s about fixing a mistake,” the Governor added. “It ensures that investors view the Virgin Islands as a viable, stable, and fair destination for long-term economic development. We remain committed to transparency and accountability in our tax incentive programs and welcome reforms that level the playing field.”
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