Action provides timely relief as federal government shutdown continues
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — Governor Albert Bryan Jr. today announced at the Government House Weekly Press Briefing that he has directed the director of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the commissioner of Finance to begin issuing up to $10 million in income tax refunds.
“As the federal government shutdown drags on, we are watching Washington closely and keeping an equally close eye on the impacts here at home,” Governor Bryan said. “It is not only SNAP recipients who are feeling this. Families, seniors, veterans, small business owners and federal employees are making hard choices. Getting these refunds out now provides real help with essentials and a little more breathing room before Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
In this batch, refunds will be issued to 3,328 tax filers who are due a refund and filed their returns by March 21, 2024. Refunds will begin going out on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. The Governor thanked the teams at the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Department of Finance for their steady work verifying returns and moving payments as quickly as possible during a challenging period.
This latest issuance follows a July 2025 disbursement of $15.7 million in income tax refunds to more than 3,700 Virgin Islanders and brings the cumulative amount paid in tax refunds under the Bryan-Roach Administration to $435 million.
“From the start, we set a clear marker to get current on income tax refunds,” the Governor added. “We are not all the way there yet, but we are moving to meet that commitment. Our goal is simple: pay what is owed, do it correctly and do it as quickly as we can, while looking out for the Virgin Islanders who need the most support as this shutdown continues.”
Residents with questions about their filing status should contact the Bureau of Internal Revenue during regular business hours. The Government of the Virgin Islands will continue to monitor the shutdown’s local impacts and process additional refunds as cash flow permits.
###