Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. into law a 90-day tax amnesty program that waives penalties on overdue property, income and gross receipts taxes, offering financial relief to Virgin Islands residents and businesses still struggling nearly a decade after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the Territory.
The measure, approved during the 36th Legislature’s Oct. 30, 2025, session and signed by Bryan on Nov. 10, targets taxpayers burdened by accumulated penalties while the Territory continues its long recovery from the catastrophic 2017 storm season and subsequent Tropical Storm Ernesto.
The amnesty period eliminates penalty charges on delinquent tax obligations, giving individuals and business owners a window to settle outstanding debts without the added financial strain of accumulated fees. The timing is significant for a territory where many residents and small businesses have faced compounded economic hardship in the years since the storms damaged homes, infrastructure and commercial properties across St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix.
Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck the Virgin Islands within two weeks of each other in September 2017, causing widespread destruction that displaced thousands of residents and crippled the local economy. Recovery efforts have been prolonged, and many taxpayers fell behind on obligations during the rebuilding process. Tropical Storm Ernesto added further strain in recent years, compounding the challenges faced by families and business owners attempting to regain financial stability.
The tax amnesty is part of a broader slate of legislation Bryan acted on from the Legislature’s October session. Among the other measures signed were a bill honoring soca artist Dennis “Pumpa” Lennox Leroy Liburd Jr. with the Official Key to the Territory, legislation allowing GERS retirees who return to work at the University of the Virgin Islands to continue receiving their annuities, and an expansion of the Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Prevention Act.
Bryan exercised line-item vetoes on sections of a wide-ranging appropriations bill, removing provisions that would have affected judicial grace periods and retiree return-to-work rules for teachers, nurses and police officers. He urged the Legislature to revisit those sections to restore continuity in critical public services.
The governor also signed bills renaming Peter Carl Limpricht Park on St. Croix as Ten Sleepless Knights Park, lowering the blood alcohol threshold for commercial motor vehicle operators to 0.04 percent and rezoning a parcel on St. Thomas from public to residential-medium density.
The tax amnesty law takes effect immediately, and the Department of Finance is expected to publish guidance on how eligible taxpayers can participate in the program.
