The Island is seeing a big increase in the number of taxpayers discovering the benefits of submitting their personal income tax returns online.

With less than one month to go until the October 6 deadline for returns for the 2015/16 tax year, 9,200 have so far been submitted online, representing over 30 per cent of all returns received to date.

At this time last year over 7,600 returns had been submitted online or 24 per cent of the total received by that stage.

Taxpayers will be charged a ?100 penalty if their personal tax return has not been received by October 6, and a further ?200 if the return remains outstanding.

Gerard Higgins, business support manager with the Treasury’s Income Tax Division, said: ‘Taxpayers seem to be getting the message that going online to submit their returns provides them with a faster simpler service, including speedier processing of any refunds that may be due.

‘They may also like to know that in choosing the online option they are saving the public’s money by helping to cut down on government paperwork. If everyone submitted their personal returns online the saving of taxpayers’ money would be more than ?600,000 each year. The benefits of using online services such as this were highlighted in Government’s Digital Strategy and many citizens already see the convenience and simplicity of transacting online.’

Mr Higgins added: ‘As the 6 October deadline for submitting 2015/16 personal tax returns is now less than one month away the Income Tax Division would like to actively encourage everyone to do so using this fast and convenient method and to remind them that registration for new users has never been simpler.’

The enrolment process to enable immediate submission of their return online can be completed by calling 685400 (option 2) during normal office hours.

There are numerous benefits that the Online Tax Service provides including:

• Personal details, employment and state benefit information which are often pre-completed; even on first registration and without the need to provide supporting evidence;
• Calculation of your tax liability so that you know immediately if your tax account is in credit or debit;
• Faster processing and any refunds can be sent directly to your bank account

If the Income Tax Division has not received personal tax returns for the year ended 5 April 2016 by 6 October 2016, taxpayers will be charged a ?100 penalty. If the return has still not been received by the Division by 6 April 2017, a further ?200 penalty will be charged. Even if the penalties are paid, the return must still be submitted and people may be prosecuted for failing to do so.

Online Government Services can also be used to pay road tax, rates bills and to make electricity payments.

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