ORANJESTAD, Aruba — Aruba Tax Tutorial Videos will be introduced to help taxpayers complete and submit their income tax returns through the BO impuesto digital portal.
Meverly Romano, public relations representative for the Departamento di Impuesto, known as DIMP, announced the upcoming instructional material during an interview with Matutino DIARIO.
The videos are expected to provide step-by-step guidance as Aruba transitions from paper-based personal income tax returns to a completely digital process.
Videos Will Explain the Digital Return
The instructional videos will demonstrate how taxpayers can complete their forms through the BO impuesto portal, commonly referred to as BOi.
The exact publication date, number of videos, languages and subjects included in the new series have not yet been announced.
DIMP’s official YouTube channel already provides tutorials covering multifactor authentication, logging into BOi and filing several types of business tax declarations. The newly announced videos are expected to focus specifically on helping residents with the upcoming digital personal income tax return.
Orange Tax Envelope Will No Longer Be Mailed
For the 2025 tax year, the personal income tax form will no longer be delivered through the familiar orange envelope.
Instead, taxpayers will complete the return online, enter the required financial information and upload supporting documents through their individual BOi accounts.
After reviewing the information, the taxpayer can submit the return electronically. The system will automatically record the submission date, which can later be viewed through the portal.
The digital form is provisionally scheduled to become available in November 2026. DIMP has said the final release date will be communicated once it has been officially established.
Taxpayers Can Authorize Another Person
Romano explained that taxpayers who cannot or do not want to complete their own return will be able to authorize another person through BOi.
An authorized representative may include:
- A son or daughter;
- A parent;
- A spouse;
- Another trusted person;
- An accountant or qualified tax adviser.
Once the taxpayer grants access through the portal, the authorized person can view, complete and submit the digital return on the taxpayer’s behalf.
Official DIMP guidance confirms that taxpayers who want another person or accountant to prepare their digital income tax return must authorize that representative through BOi. The representative receives access only after the authorization has been completed.
Separate Authorization Letter Not Needed for Return Access
Romano said taxpayers previously prepared a written authorization letter when asking another person to handle their tax affairs.
For access to the upcoming digital return, authorization can instead be granted directly through the taxpayer’s BOi account.
However, taxpayers should not assume that every type of paper authorization has been eliminated. DIMP continues to publish authorization forms for certain situations, including allowing someone else to apply for a BOi account and handling other specific tax matters.
The new portal procedure specifically concerns granting another person access to prepare and submit the taxpayer’s digital return.
Every Taxpayer Needs a BOi Account
Every person registered for personal income tax must have an individual BOi account to access the new form.
This requirement also applies to married couples. Each spouse must create and maintain a separate account, even when another person or accountant will complete the return for them.
DIMP is encouraging residents who do not yet have an account to register before the return becomes available.
Creating an account early can reduce delays, prevent last-minute access problems and provide time to configure multifactor authentication.
DIMP has also organised information sessions to guide taxpayers through account registration and secure login procedures.
Supporting Documents Must Be Uploaded
Although the return will be digital, the documents required to support income, expenses and deductions will generally remain the same.
Taxpayers may need to prepare documents such as:
- Annual salary statements;
- Pension statements;
- Rental and additional-income records;
- Bank and interest statements;
- Life-insurance documents;
- Proof of qualifying donations;
- Evidence of educational expenses;
- Financial statements for sole proprietorships.
Paper documents will need to be scanned or photographed clearly and saved in a suitable digital format, such as PDF, before being uploaded through BOi.
Taxpayers should also save a copy of the completed return and supporting documents for their own records.
Help Remains Available Through DIMP
Residents who experience problems with their BOi accounts can contact DIMP’s dedicated helpdesks.
The Tax Department provides separate assistance for login problems and questions involving online services. Taxpayers are advised to have their personal identification number available when requesting support.
The upcoming Aruba Tax Tutorial Videos are intended to make the transition easier by showing residents how to navigate the new form instead of relying only on written instructions.
The digital system will also allow taxpayers to grant secure access to relatives, trusted representatives or accountants without physically transporting the return between individuals.
DIMP is expected to release additional information as the planned November introduction of the digital 2025 income tax return approaches.
