14,000 customers due to file their tax online

Revenue Jersey has received just over 47,000 tax returns out of around 66,500 issued. Islanders had until 31 May to file their tax return in paper form and 38,000 of these were submitted in time to avoid a late-filing penalty. This year, for the first time, Islanders could choose to submit their tax return online. The deadline for online returns is 31 July. 

6,000 Islanders will file through a tax agent, leaving around 14,000 taxpayers to file online.

To file online, customers first need to activate their account on the government portal, including setting up a digital ID (Yoti). This takes about ten minutes and requires the customer to have a valid passport and smartphone. 

Richard Summersgill, Comptroller of Revenue said: “We estimate that about 14,000 taxpayers will take the opportunity to file online within the next eight weeks. That means that around 23,000 individual customers will submit their return online, which equates to approximately 35% uptake (or over 40% when taking into account returns filed by tax agents). This is a fantastic achievement for the first year of filing online.”

“Online returns which don’t require further assessment by revenue officers are now routinely processed within two weeks of their submission. Paper returns continue to be input by hand and then assessed on a first in, first out basis. Revenue Jersey is currently inputting paper returns received in March.”

Some taxpayers may have missed the paper return filing date but may not have a smartphone and passport to be able to complete the process online. These customers should submit their return on paper as soon as possible. As usual, appeals against late filing penalties will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Conditions for valid appeals against fines can be found on the Government of Jersey website.  

Each year around £1.5 million is generated from late filing penalties. Islanders are encouraged to use the online form in the coming weeks to avoid being liable for a fine and to help speed up waiting times for tax assessments to be issued.