TAJ continues positive revenue performance for second quarter 2018/19 fiscal year

Preliminary figures indicate that Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) surpassed the collections target for the second quarter of the 2018/19 fiscal year. For the period July – September 2018, the Revenue Authority collected $75.2B which is 4.8% over the $71.7B target.   As a result, year-to-date collections now stand at $153.1B which is 2% above the projections at September 30, 2018 of $149.8B. This performance continues the positive trend recorded over the last four years, with the Authority being on track to exceed the $320.8B annual target.

This outcome is as a result of the continuation of focused compliance strategies which began last financial year, and resulted in TAJ surpassing its annual target for 2017/18.

These compliance efforts included closer monitoring of arrears which was facilitated through the Revenue Administration Information System (RAiS) and the mandating of all GCT taxpayers to file their returns online.

The Authority’s service, education and stakeholder engagement focus continued as Taxpayer Education Teams, Technical Specialists, Client Relationship Managers and Customer Care Agents interfaced with taxpayers to educate and inform them of their rights and obligations as well as provide tax information and assistance. Seminars, workshops, sensitization sessions and speaking engagements were some of the strategies employed. Personalised eOne-on-One and eOn-Spot sessions continued to assist GCT taxpayers meet their mandated eFiling requirement. This activity has borne fruit as the Authority is now reporting an almost 100% GCT eFiling compliance rate for the taxpayers mandated to file Returns in this manner. Traditional and social media were also used to complement TAJ’s service and education efforts.

TAJ will continue to utilise all the avenues available to encourage and foster voluntary compliance through moral suasion. Notwithstanding, tax evaders will be aggressively pursued through intelligence and enforcement actions and brought to book. Recently, the Special Enforcement Team targeted several delinquent taxpayers in St. Catherine and carried out an operation dubbed ‘Old Capital 2.0’ which resulted in the arrest of ten persons for disobeying Court Orders.

Persons may contact the TAJ Customer Care Centre at 1-888-Tax-Help (1-888-829-4357) toll-free for further information or assistance.