Shop software for Dominican shops
Shopkeepa is simple software for mini-marts, groceries, hardware and beauty supply shops in Dominica. Sell, track stock and see how the shop is doing in EC dollars, with VAT handled as a setting, on the phone or tablet you already have.
Running a shop in Dominica, 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
- Value-added tax (VAT), standard rate 15%. Accommodation and diving activity are charged 10%, and some goods are zero-rated.
- VAT registration
- Annual taxable supplies above EC$250,000, raised from the earlier EC$60,000 and EC$120,000 levels on 1 September 2016.
- Returns and penalties
- Return due by the 20th of the following month. A late return costs $100 for each month or part, and unpaid tax draws a 10% penalty and 1% interest a month.
- Import taxes
- From 1 October 2026, VAT and excise on imports are to be calculated only on the CIF value, ending compounding on other port charges.
- Tax authority
- Inland Revenue Division (IRD), Roseau. VAT replaced the old consumption tax, sales tax, hotel occupancy tax and entertainment tax on 1 March 2006.
VAT at 15%, with an EC$250,000 threshold
Dominica's VAT came into effect on 1 March 2006 and replaced the consumption tax, sales tax, hotel occupancy tax and entertainment tax. The standard rate is 15%. Accommodation and diving activity carry 10%, and there is a list of zero-rated goods. The Inland Revenue Division raised the registration threshold to EC$250,000 of annual taxable supplies on 1 September 2016, replacing the earlier EC$60,000 and EC$120,000 levels.
The deadlines are strict. A return is due within 20 days after the period ends, whether or not any tax is payable. A return filed late is charged $100 for each month or part of a month. Tax paid late attracts a 10% penalty, and unpaid tax bears interest at one percent a month. A shop with clean monthly numbers avoids all three.
In Shopkeepa, VAT is a shop setting. Switch it on at 15% if you are registered and mark each product as taxable or not, so zero-rated lines stay at 0%. Prices and reports stay in EC dollars. Shopkeepa keeps the sales records. It does not file the return.
Food relief, and the end of tax compounding on imports
Dominica has used budget measures to cut the cost of staples. VAT and import duty relief on a list of essential food items, including items such as rice, flour, milk and sugar, was extended through 30 September 2026, according to the 2026/2027 budget coverage. We could not confirm what applies from 1 October, so check the current list before you reprice or restock. For a shop, a relief ending or starting is a repricing day: tags, the till and the stock list all need to match.
A second change matters more to importers. Until now, VAT and excise on imported goods in Dominica have been calculated not only on the cost, insurance and freight value but also on other charges, including the customs service charge, the environmental levy, import duty and excise. This is called tax compounding. From 1 October 2026, the government says VAT and excise on imports will be calculated only on CIF value. Landed cost should fall for some lines, and the saving is meant to reach consumers.
If you import for the shop, recalculate landed cost on your fastest sellers after that date and compare it with your current price. The markup and margin calculator and the guide to pricing products show how. Shopkeepa shows gross profit where cost is known, so the cost you enter should be the landed cost.
Roseau, the parishes and a mountainous island
Dominica is a mountainous island, and the road from a Roseau supplier to a shop in the north or east can be long and slow after rain. A distributor delivery that does not arrive on schedule can leave a rural shop short of a fast seller for days.
Plan minimums around the longest realistic gap between deliveries, not the average. 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. See how to set reorder points and the hurricane season shop checklist, for the weeks around a storm.
Cash, cards and recording payments
Cash in EC dollars is the normal payment in most Dominican shops, with cards in larger shops and visitor areas. We did not find one dominant local wallet that merchants widely use, so ask your own bank about card terminals or phone-based acceptance. The ECCB's DCash pilot was shut down across the union in January 2024, so it is not an option.
Shopkeepa records how each sale was paid (cash, card, bank transfer, local wallet or other) so the drawer total is clear when you cash up. It does not process payments. The money goes through whichever terminal or bank you already use.
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.
Does my Dominican shop need to charge VAT?
Only if you are registered. The Inland Revenue Division sets the threshold at EC$250,000 of annual taxable supplies. Check with the Inland Revenue Division or an accountant for your own case.
Can Shopkeepa handle zero-rated food items?
VAT can be switched on for the shop and each product marked taxable or not, so items that carry no VAT stay at 0%. Shopkeepa keeps the records. It does not file returns with the IRD.
How does the end of tax compounding affect my prices?
It may lower the landed cost of some imported goods. Recalculate cost on your main lines after 1 October 2026 and compare it with your selling price. Shopkeepa shows gross profit when cost is entered.
Is Shopkeepa available in Dominica now?
Not yet. Shopkeepa is in development, and Dominican shops 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 Division, Dominica: Value Added Tax (rates, due date, penalties, interest)
- Inland Revenue Division: VAT threshold increase to EC$250,000 (1 September 2016)
- Dominica News: Dominica to end tax compounding on imports in October (7 August 2026)
- KPMG: Dominica budget proposes flat individual income tax rate, extended VAT relief (26 August 2026)
- VATupdate: Dominica cuts VAT and import duties on essential foods (items including milk, flour, rice, sugar)
- ECCB: EC dollar peg at EC$2.70 to US$1.00 since 1976
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