Tax on Jersey property sales (FOI)

Request

Please could you inform me:

For each year end 2012 to 2018

A

The number of properties purchased by owners who are also not on the electoral register.

B

The number of properties sold but did not pay capital gains tax

C

The number of properties sold but did not pay capital gains tax excluding local residents who lived in the home

D

How many buy to let non commercial companies do not pay jersey tax on profit

E

How many buy to let commercial companies do not pay jersey tax on profit

F

How many empty properties are owned by owners who are not on electoral register

G

How many empty properties are owned by owners who do not pay jersey tax

Response

A

The Judicial Greffe does register contracts passed in the Public Registry and the number of contracts passed each year is in its Annual Report. However, no information is held as to whether the purchaser is on the Electoral Register. The 2017 Annual Report is available in the following link. The 2018 Report has not yet been published.

Judicial Greffe reports and documents

The Electoral Register is maintained by the Parishes. While there are specific reasons this information is shared with the Judicial Greffe, such as administering elections and selecting juries (at the Viscount’s Department), there is no link in departmental records between the use of the Electoral Register and the Public Registry record of property contracts as no checks on the Electoral Register are made when contracts are registered.

B and C

Information is not held as Jersey does not have a capital gains tax regime.

D

If a company is making profits from Jersey property then it will, irrespective of the “type” of company, pay Jersey tax on those profits. The only exception would be if the company is exempt to tax in accordance with Article 115 (Miscellaneous exemptions) of the Income Tax (Jersey) Law, 1961.

Revenue Jersey records do not distinguish between “commercial” and “non-commercial companies”.

E

See the answer to D above.

F and G

This information is not held.