Islanders can now file their 2020 tax return, either online or by completing a paper form. Emails are being sent to all those who filed online last year to let them know that the online filing system is ready for use, while paper tax return forms are being sent to those Islanders who completed a paper form last year.
Islanders are encouraged to make use of online filing, which was launched in 2020. Last year around 19,000 tax returns were filed online, some 30% of the the total.
Online filing is quicker, more convenient and easier than using the paper form. Taxpayers filing online for the first time will need to activate a onegov account, which includes setting up a digital ID using the Yoti app.
Taxpayers who formerly paid their tax on a Prior Year Basis (PYB) are especially encouraged to file their tax return as early as possible, so they can understand their tax position.
Following a States Assembly vote to move all PYB taxpayers onto paying on a Current Year Basis (CYB), Revenue Jersey has moved all the 2020 payments PYB taxpayers made to settle their 2019 tax bill to pay for their 2020 tax bill instead.
While the 2019 tax bill will be frozen, PYB taxpayers will not know whether they have an outstanding debit or credit until their 2020 tax return has been returned and assessed.
PYB taxpayers can use online filing to clarify their position more quickly. Filing online allows Revenue Jersey staff to assess tax returns more easily, which means that PYB taxpayers will gain certainty sooner.
The deadline for filing tax returns is 31 May 2021 via paper, and 31 July 2021 if filing online.
Along with their tax return form, taxpayers will also receive a letter from the Comptroller of Revenue, Richard Summersgill, apologising for delays in 2020, but also outlining that Revenue Jersey’s new computer system and the move to online filing meant that all the 2019 tax return assessments, aside from a few open cases, were completed by the end of 2020, some four months earlier than the previous year.
Comptroller of Revenue, Richard Summersgill, said: “As ever, I would urge Islanders to complete their tax returns in a timely manner, ahead of the relevant deadline.
“Taxpayers can file their return online for a more efficient and easier experience and I would especially urge former PYB taxpayers to take advantage of online filing. For them, completing their tax return in a timely way will give them clarity on their tax position, and help them forward plan.”
More information about online filing is available on the Government of Jersey website.
Additional guidance for employees looking to claim a homeworking allowance if employers have not paid expenses, is also available online: gov.je/CovidHomeworkingExpenses