Shop software for shops in Antigua and Barbuda
Shopkeepa is simple software for mini-marts, groceries, hardware and beauty supply shops in Antigua and Barbuda. Sell, track stock and see how the shop is doing in EC dollars, with ABST handled as a setting, on the phone or tablet you already have.
Running a shop in Antigua and Barbuda, at a glance
- Currency
- Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD), fixed at EC$2.70 to US$1 since 1976 and issued by the ECCB.
- Sales tax
- Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST), standard rate 17% since 1 January 2024, up from 15%. Not called VAT locally.
- ABST registration
- Required once taxable activity reaches EC$300,000 in any 12 months.
- Returns
- Monthly, filed with the Inland Revenue Department even when no tax is due. Check the due date with the IRD.
- Tax authority
- Inland Revenue Department (IRD), Woods Centre, Friars Hill Road, St John's.
- Barbuda
- The Barbuda Express ferry runs from Jolly Harbour in Antigua. A crossing takes about 90 minutes and depends on the weather.
ABST at 17%: what changed in 2024
Antigua and Barbuda does not call its consumption tax VAT. It is the Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax, or ABST, and on 1 January 2024 the standard rate rose from 15% to 17%. If your till, price list or software still carries 15%, every taxable sale since then has been under-charged, and the gap comes out of your margin.
Registration is required once taxable activity reaches EC$300,000 in any 12-month period. Many small shops in St John's, All Saints, Liberta or English Harbour sit below that line. Hotels and certain professionals, including accountants and lawyers, must register whatever their turnover. Some supplies, such as exports and essential food items, are zero-rated.
In Shopkeepa, tax is a shop setting. Choose the rate, switch it on if you are registered and mark each product as taxable or not. Prices and reports stay in EC dollars. Shopkeepa keeps the sales records you need for a return. It does not file the return for you.
Monthly returns and why records matter
ABST is filed monthly, and a return is expected even for a month with no tax to pay. Published summaries give different due dates, and late filing and late payment both carry penalties and interest, so confirm the current deadline with the Inland Revenue Department and put it in your calendar.
That monthly rhythm suits a shop that can pull a clean month of sales on demand. Shopkeepa's searchable sales history and reports by day, week and month show what you sold and when, with refunds and voids kept on record. Hand them to your accountant instead of rebuilding a month from a notebook.
Cards, transfers and the EC dollar
Cash in EC dollars is still common, and US dollars are often offered by visitors, usually converted at the fixed rate of EC$2.70 to US$1. Antigua Commercial Bank offers Visa and MasterCard point-of-sale terminals to merchants, and the ECCU lets you move funds by electronic transfer to commercial banks across the OECS where the same currency is used.
The ECCB's DCash pilot, which included Antigua and Barbuda, was shut down in January 2024, so it is not a payment option. Shopkeepa records how each sale was paid (cash, card, bank transfer, local wallet or other) so your drawer total is clear at close. It does not process payments itself.
Barbuda and the cost of island freight
Two islands means two supply chains. Antigua receives its stock through its own port. Barbuda depends on Antigua for almost everything. Since November 2023 the Barbuda Express passenger ferry has left from Jolly Harbour, with the crossing taking about 90 minutes in good weather, and trips can be delayed or cancelled when the sea is rough. Goods for Barbuda shops have to be bought in Antigua and carried across, which adds cost and waiting time.
For a Barbuda shop, running out of a fast seller can mean waiting for the next boat. For an Antigua shop with Barbuda customers, it is worth knowing what moves most. Shopkeepa keeps a running count, reminds you once when a product drops below its minimum, and builds a restock list with a suggested order quantity. Read how to set reorder points to set a minimum that covers a missed crossing, and the hurricane season shop checklist for storm weeks.
Common questions
Does Shopkeepa work in Eastern Caribbean dollars?
Yes. Prices, sales and reports are in EC dollars. Currency is a shop setting rather than something fixed in the app.
Can Shopkeepa handle ABST?
Tax can be switched on for the shop at the rate you choose, and each product marked taxable or not, so zero-rated items stay at 0%. Shopkeepa keeps the records. It does not file ABST returns with the IRD.
Is the ABST rate 15% or 17%?
The standard rate has been 17% since 1 January 2024. Check the Inland Revenue Department for any change since, and update the rate in your shop settings if one is announced.
Can a shop in Barbuda use Shopkeepa?
Yes, on a phone, tablet or computer. It is built with unreliable connections in mind, so a short outage should not stop you selling. Keep the device charged.
Is Shopkeepa available in Antigua and Barbuda now?
Not yet. Shopkeepa is in development, and shops in Antigua and Barbuda can join the early access waitlist to try it first and help shape it.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked on 6 October 2026. Rules, rates and products change, so confirm anything important with the source.
- Inland Revenue Department, Antigua and Barbuda: official site (office address, role)
- Antigua Newsroom: ABST increases from 15% to 17% from 1 January 2024 (IRD notice)
- UNCTAD iGuide Antigua and Barbuda (ABST registration threshold EC$300,000)
- Sea Bridge Ferries: Barbuda Express schedule (departs Jolly Harbour, current as of 28 September 2026)
- Antigua Commercial Bank: merchant services (Visa and MasterCard POS)
- ECCB: EC dollar peg at EC$2.70 to US$1.00 since 1976
Related
A hurricane season checklist for Caribbean shop owners
Plan for the June 1 to November 30 hurricane season: what to stock, how to protect stock and cash, back up your records, and how to write off storm damage properly.
GuideHow to set reorder points so you never run out
Learn the reorder point formula for a small shop: average daily sales times lead time, plus safety stock. A worked example with plain numbers and a checklist.
GuidePower cuts at the till: how to keep selling and keep your records straight
What to do when the lights go out in your shop: a paper backup for sales, charging and lighting, cash safety, and how to reconcile everything once power returns.
CountryShop software for shops in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Selling, stock and low-stock reminders for shops in Saint Kitts and Nevis, in EC dollars with 17% VAT as a shop setting you can change when the rate does.
FeatureLow-stock reminders before you run out
Set a minimum for each product and get one reminder when stock drops to it. A restock list shows what to order and how much, so you find out before customers do.