Coronavirus tax and contributions help

​Measures to support taxpayers during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Government understands the challenges facing taxpayers during this Coronavirus pandemic. Many businesses and particularly those operating in critically affected sectors such as hospitality, agriculture and fishing are experiencing cash flow and trading difficulties.

Government support for businesses

How coronavirus support for businesses is taxed

GST contribution deferrals

The deadline for GST deferral was 31 December 2021. No further applications will be accepted.

GST Direction 2021/02

Employer ITIS payments

Where a businesses is supported by the Government co-funded payroll scheme, the wages paid to employees are gross rather than net, and are therefore subject to tax and social security contributions in the usual way. Throughout the operation of the scheme businesses must continue to deduct ITIS and contributions from their staff, and file returns as normal.

Relief for trading losses

If you are self-employed or in a partnership, there are two ways you can claim relief for any trading losses made. You can make a claim to offset the loss against other sources of income in the same year of assessment, or you can make a claim to carry back the loss to the previous year of assessment. If you carry back the loss, it can only be offset against profits from the same trade. You can also claim for relief using a combination of the two.

You must make a claim within 2 years of the end of the year of assessment.

Expenses and working from home during COVID-19

This policy applied from 20 March 2020 and ended 31 January 2022.

Revenue Jersey is adopting practical policies with regard to expenses incurred when individuals are required to work from home and are reimbursed by their employers.

There are two polices which are separated by the Government of Jersey advice on coronavirus and Safe Exit Framework levels.

Policy 1

Covers any period of time where Government of Jersey advises individuals to physically distance 2 metres and work from home wherever possible.

Policy 2

Applies while Safe Exit Framework measures are in place. This policy has a more targeted approach where homeworking expenses can be deducted in certain circumstances. These expenses can only be claimed up to 31 January 2022 when policy 2 came to an end.

Homeworking expenses policy 1

Employer reimbursement

Where the employer covers the cost of working from home during this period, these payments can be ignored for tax purposes when they are £10 or less per week. These expenses do not need to be declared by the employer on their ITIS returns and should not be included on the personal tax return.

No reimbursement from employer

Those employees who have to work from home but who do not receive any type of compensation from their employer may claim a flat rate of £10 per week to cover any costs incurred (heat, light, telephone, internet etc). This claim should be made in the employment expenses section of your income tax return.

Flat-rate expenses

Employers who are paying flat-rate expenses to their employees which exceed £10 per week must include these sums in their employers ITIS return and the employee must keep records of the expenditure incurred and make a claim on their income tax return.

Homeworking expenses policy 2 

Employer reimbursement

Where an employer requires an employee to work from home (for example on a rota basis due to a need for social distancing and Covid risk management) payments made to cover the cost of homeworking can be ignored for tax purposes, provided they are £10 or less per week (pro-rated if homeworking is less than a full week).

If the sum exceeds £10 per week then the employer must include these sums in their employers ITIS return. The employee must keep records of the expenditure incurred and make a claim on their income tax return.

However, payments made to cover the cost of home working made by employers to employees who choose to work from home during Level 1 of the Safe Exit Framework are taxable. This includes where the employer offers a choice of homeworking to its employees under a home working policy. Employers must include these sums in their employers ITIS return.

If there is any element of choice for the employee to work from home, the full subsidy is taxable.

No reimbursement from employer

Those employees who are required or contractually obliged by their employer to work from home and who do not receive any type of compensation from their employer may claim a flat rate of £10 per week to cover any costs incurred, for example heat, light, telephone, internet etc (pro-rated if homeworking is less than a full week). This claim should be made in the employment expenses section of your income tax return.

If there is any element of choice for the employee to work from home, no deduction can be claimed.

Non-taxable benefits provided to employees

COVID-19 testing for employees 

COVID-19 testing provided to an employee by their employer will be exempt from tax. Employers therefore do not need to include the cost of such testing on their annual Benefit in Kind return.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

The provision of PPE to employees who are required to wear such PPE is not a Benefit in Kind and is non-taxable.

Equally, if an employee requires PPE to carry out their role and the employer reimburses the cost to the employee, this is non-taxable. In such instances employees cannot claim tax relief on these expenses in their annual tax return.

Laptops, tablets, computers, and office supplies whilst home working

The provision of business laptops, tablets, computers, and office supplies is not a Benefit in Kind and is non- taxable. This is provided they are mainly used for business purposes and there is no significant private use.

Temporary business accommodation

Where an employer pays or reimburses the cost of overnight accommodation and subsistence as part of qualifying business travel (for example, where the employee is on business and cannot travel owing to government restrictions or lockdown), the expense is not taxable.   

Taxable benefits provided to employees

Paying transport costs

If an employer pays for the cost of an employee’s transport from work to home, this is a taxable benefit. This is because journeys between an employee’s workplace and home are private journeys. Employers must include these sums in their Benefit in Kind return.

In some circumstances there is an exemption from paying tax on this benefit. For this to happen, either of the following two conditions must be met:

• transport provided within the Island between place of work and home where the employee is working unsocial hours, defined as between 10pm and 6am
• transport provided in the Island between place of work and home for severely disabled employees. 

Tax debts (arrears)

Any business that foresees problems paying their debt should engage with the Treasury and Exchequer Debt Management Team to discuss their time to pay arrangements. 

Cases of hardship will be treated sympathetically.

​Contact the Treasury and Exchequer Debt Management Team, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm by:

Filing tax returns

We ask taxpayers to file returns online where it is possible to do so. Other matters that might ordinarily be done by paper (such as lodging an appeal) should be communicated electronically where possible.

Taxpayers should continue to file all tax returns on time.

The information they contain is needed to help Government manage the reliefs it's providing to business, and to manage Government income forecasting and cash flow through this difficult time when it needs to optimise the help it can give to businesses and individuals.

Online services

Personal tax online return

File your tax return online

Tell us about a change of address

Update your contact details

Get a copy of your ITIS rate or update your salary information

Request a replacement tax effective rate

Online help

You can also find answers to common queries on the Revenue Jersey pages of the website:

Guides to help you fill out your personal tax return

Allowances, reliefs and deductions for income tax

Understanding your tax assessment

How you pay your tax

GST zero rating for the supply of staff

GST Direction 2020/02 provided for temporary zero-rating of the supply of staff to facilitate employers who keep people in employment and use them flexibly to support other businesses.

The Direction applied to all supplies of staff made in Jersey by GST registered businesses which took place between 19 March 2020 and 30 September 2020 inclusive.

GST Direction 2020/02

GST cash accounting for small businesses

The cash accounting scheme allows you to account for GST when you receive payment, which is usually later, and may be in a later return period. This means that you will not have to pay GST until you have been paid by your customers.

The maximum taxable turnover limit in the last 12 months, has been increased to £1,250,000. This will allow more businesses to join the scheme.

How the cash accounting scheme works

Economic substance and corporate tax residency

Where company operating practices have to be adjusted to compensate for the Covid-19 outbreak, the Comptroller of Revenue will not determine under Article 6, Taxation (Companies- Economic Substance) (Jersey) Law 2019, that a company has failed the economic substance test.

Where a company incorporated in another jurisdiction has been tax resident on the basis of control and management in Jersey, and the Comptroller considers that any changes dictated by the Coronavirus are temporary, then this will not disturb the determination of corporate tax residence from that prevailing before this outbreak.

Read more about coronavirus and economic substance

Tax residency for individuals