TAJ's New System Available to File Consumption Taxes Now Due

Consumption Taxes for the month of January are now due and Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) is advising taxpayers that they may use the new Revenue Administration Information System (RAiS) to file and pay not only their General Consumption Tax (GCT) and Special Consumption Tax (SCT), but now also their Telephone Call Tax (TCT) and Guest Accommodation Room Tax (GART) returns online.

While taxpayers have up until the end of February to file these returns for the January period, the public is reminded that their GCT must be filed and paid by Friday, February 27, which is the last working day of the month. This is in keeping with the amendment to the GCT Act late last year.

Taxpayers are further advised that revised GCT returns forms are in effect since January 1, 2015. These revised GCT forms, which reflect recent legislative changes, are to be used when filing the returns due as of this date. RAiS has been configured with the old and new forms, however persons filing their GCT return manually are asked to ensure they use the version of the GCT form related to the particular period.
The respective versions are available for download from the TAJ's website.

RAiS was successfully rolled out on February 9, 2015 with an enhanced web service. It allows taxpayers to file these monthly returns online through the TAJ portal www.jamaicatax.gov.jm. Payments may be made using a credit card. Additionally, persons with a BNS account may use the automated direct banking feature in RAiS, which allows payments via the banking system's Automated Clearing House (ACH)
platform.

In the first two weeks of the RAiS rollout, over 250 GCT returns were filed through the RAiS web service, with the first return that was filed recorded an hour after rollout.

Since the rollout several customers have also used RAiS to query their account, update their profile, grant third party access to their accountant, and make automated direct bank payments, among other activities.

For further information persons may call the Tax Administration Customer Care Centre at 1-888-Tax-Help (1-888-829-4357) or visit the website www.jamaicatax.gov.jm