Tax specialist Marco Aalbers publishes English-language guide to St. Maarten’s tax system

SIMPSON BAY--Tax specialist Marco Aalbers has published a new English-language book explaining St. Maarten’s tax system, providing business owners, investors, professionals and residents with a practical guide to the country’s tax laws and obligations.

The book, titled The Tax System of Sint Maarten: Principles, Practice and International Context, is now available at Van Dorp in Simpson Bay. It covers the main taxes applicable on the island, including income tax, profit tax, wage tax, turnover tax and social premiums, while also examining the country's tax arrangements within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Aalbers, founder of Aalbers Private Tax Advisory, developed the publication to make local tax legislation more accessible, particularly to English-speaking individuals and businesses who may have difficulty navigating laws predominantly written in Dutch.

The book reflects tax legislation applicable in 2026 and takes readers from the basic principles of taxation through their practical application. It also examines how St. Maarten's tax system operates within a broader international context.

"Everyone who does business here has to deal with our tax rules, but the law itself is hard to access for many of them," Aalbers said. "I worked with this system as a tax inspector and as an advisor. In this book I explain it the way I explain it to my clients: step by step, in plain English and with examples from practice."

Although primarily intended for business owners, investors and people relocating to St. Maarten, the publication is also designed as a reference for accountants, lawyers, notaries, bankers, real estate agents and students.

Aalbers previously served as a tax inspector with the St. Maarten Tax Administration and worked as a tax advisor at PwC Dutch Caribbean. He is also co-author of Capita Selecta Caribisch Fiscaal Recht and contributes to the Wolters Kluwer Vakstudie series.

In addition to his advisory practice, Aalbers lectures in Caribbean tax law at the University of Curaçao. He publishes an annual English-language edition of St. Maarten's tax legislation and produces the free weekly Caribbean Tax Update newsletter.

The first edition of The Tax System of Sint Maarten is available for purchase at Van Dorp in Simpson Bay.

‍