Statistics from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning have shown that 1.2 billion rufiyaa has been collected as Green Tax. The Green Tax was introduced in October 2016 to raise funds for various environmental protection efforts in the Maldives. Green Tax is levied on tourists staying at tourist resorts, hotels, guesthouses, and tourist vessels in the Maldives. According to the July revenue report released by MIRA (Maldives Inland Revenue Authority), 1.2 billion rufiyaa has been collected as Green Tax in the first 7 months of this year, which is a 102% increase compared to the 632 million rufiyaa collected during the same period last year.
Entities registered for Green Tax must submit a declaration and pay the tax every month. The deadline for submitting the Green Tax declaration and payment is the 28th day of the following month.
Green Tax is a tax collected from tourists visiting the Maldives to provide financial assistance for environment-related work. This tax must be paid by tourists staying at resorts, guesthouses, city hotels, and safari vessels. Tourists staying at resorts and safari vessels must pay a Green Tax of 12 dollars per person per day for each day spent at such establishments or vessels. For hotels and tourist guesthouses operating on inhabited islands with more than 50 registered rooms, tourists pay 12 US dollars per day. For hotels and tourist guesthouses on inhabited islands with 50 d islands with 50 or fewer registered rooms, tourists pay 6 US dollars per day as Green Tax.
The government has been using the revenue from Green Tax to fund various environmental projects on the islands. These include water and sewerage systems, beach protection, Clean Environment Project, and establishment of water systems, among others.
