Digital tool eases tax reporting burden for tourism operators

Hotels and resorts facing imminent Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) VAT Monitoring System (VMS) compliance deadlines now have access to a sector-specific solution designed to avoid costly hardware upgrades and manual reporting.

The new digital platform is expected to ease compliance pressures on accommodation providers as FRCS VMS implementation deadlines approach for the tourism sector this year.

Counterpoint Group has secured FRCS V3 accreditation for its CP VMS platform.

Counterpoint Group director Craig Smith said accommodation providers relied on specialised booking platforms that operated differently from standard retail point-of-sale systems.

"CP VMS was built specifically to bridge this gap. It acts as a secure, automated conduit directly to the FRCS Tax Core portal, allowing hoteliers to meet their tax reporting obligations without disrupting daily guest operations or needing to purchase expensive new hardware," Mr Smith said.

The integration makes Hotel Link one of the first bespoke global Property Management System (PMS) platforms to automate VMS compliance for Fiji's accommodation sector.

Under FRCS Phase 3 implementation timelines, accommodation providers face upcoming registration and compliance deadlines.

Unlike traditional retail businesses, resorts and hotels manage complex financial transactions, including advance deposits, split payments and booking refunds, making manual tax reporting a significant operational challenge.

Through a cloud-based integration, the system automatically transmits required financial data in real time, reducing the risk of human error and eliminating the need for manual intervention.

Since 2015, Counterpoint Group has provided digital tourism technology solutions across the Oceania-Pacific region, helping accommodation providers and tour operators improve efficiency and grow their businesses.

The company specialises in strategic marketing, custom software development, digital transformation and the adoption of Google Workspace and Gemini AI.

It also supports operators through a suite of booking management platforms featuring direct booking capabilities, channel management and integrated guest payment processing systems.