In Jamaica value added tax takes two different forms; these are the general consumption tax (GCT) and the special consumption tax (SCT), which consist of country-specific excise taxes related to the financial sector. The implementation of these tax systems occurred on October 22, 1991 at a rate of 10%; replacing eight (8) different forms of taxation in the country, some of which are customs and entertainment duties. These value-added tax systems were implemented to reverse the country's deficit and serve as a catalyst for economic growth. In an effort to encourage Jamaica's economic growth, the GCT tax system underwent further reforms in 1993, 1995 and 2003 with the aim of refining the tax system to better suit the country. It is in this regard that the 1993 reform led to the removal of a number of zero-rated items in the exemption category and also increased the standard rate of tax from 10% to 12.5%. It was with the 1995 reform that the standard rate of 12.5% ​​was then raised to 15%, including the addition of more items to the list of exemptions. According to Edimston, an economist at the University of Toronto, the increase in exempt items within the tax system and its reforms served to ensure that goods and services considered vital to low-income homes remained affordable for the lower classes of the country (2010) . In the 2003 reform, Jamaica removed certain items from the list of exemptions because increasing these items impacts the country's revenue generation capacity, thus resulting in a substantial decrease in revenue. Furthermore, an increase in the rate of matches that were once zero rate has also been implemented. It was after these reforms that GCT and SCT were seen as critical forms of revenue for... paper cost levels... to export items which, as previously stated, led to businesses closing. As Jamaica's Value Added Tax has undergone many reforms to encourage possible change within the economy to increase government revenue, the results of the implementation of the tax, however, have increased the country's national deficit with little or no recovery. Works Cited Aizeman, J. Jinjarak, Y. 2010. The Collection Efficiency of Value Added Tax Theory and International Evidence. Ministry of Finance. 2013. White Paper on Tax Reform to Secure Adequate Revenues for the Future Bahamas.Peters, A. Bristol, M. 2006. Is VAT Right for the Caribbean Community.Edimston, K. Bird, R. 2010. Taxing Consumption in Jamaica GCT and SCT. University of Toronto.Victor, P. 2010. VAT A Brief History of Taxes, Nassau Guardian. December 31, 2010