Islanders outraged over mistaken tax rises

Tuesday 22 September 2020

Scores of islanders have been expressing their outrage after mistakenly receiving sudden spikes in their tax charges - with some going up by as much as 15%.

One person who wished to remain anonymous told Express how her tax had been raised as initially they had filed her name under the wrong person - someone who earned much more than she did.

She said how even though when she contacted the Government and they changed the rate, she still thought it was “too high considering my wages have not changed.”

She added that they are “also saying I owe them money when it was not my fault if they have been sending me the wrong rate.”

Pictured: Some islanders saw a rise in their rate of more than 15%. 

The islander is one of dozens to have voiced their frustration at the mistaken tax calculation. Many took to social media to share their annoyance.

Responding to a post on 19,000-strong Facebook group 'Jersey Ask! Advise! Advertise!' where a poster complained how his rates had rocketed from 9% to 24% last week, dozens of commenters voiced how they thought they had been overcharged or their rates mistakenly calculated.

One commenter on the post said how his went from “2% to 18%” and that they therefore owe £5,800.

In a separate comment, another islander said he had a similar experience, and that his “went from 11% to 23%” despite the fact his salary hadn’t changed. 

There was criticism of the system in the comments too, with someone questioning why employees were getting asked to pay and not the employers, saying: “If there is an increase because employers are not paying over ITIS they have deducted from your salary then they should be writing to the employers, not you.”

Pictured: Some islanders were left baffled when their taxes rose despite the fact their wages had not changed. 

Responding to a request for comment from Express, the Government suggested that the fault either lay with the individuals experiencing issues or their employers.

A spokesperson said: “Some Islanders have recently received up-to-date assessments. In some cases, this assessment will lead to their ITIS rate being recalculated. More Islanders may be receiving letters at this point in the year because Revenue Jersey has assessed over 9,000 more tax returns this year than at the same point last year.

“There are several reasons people may naturally see an increase in their ITIS rates:

• they may have an outstanding balance from previous years which needs to be paid;
• Revenue Jersey may not have received up-to-date information on the individual’s ITIS rate from their employer;
• they may have mis-declared their income in their tax return;
• because the person’s 2019 assessment has been completed, they may have a shortfall to pay before the end of the year;
• individuals may have forgotten to claim allowances they are entitled to."

They added: “Islanders can request an updated ITIS rate online if their circumstances have changed. If you do have concerns about your ITIS rate, contact Revenue Jersey on (01534) 440300 or jerseytax@gov.je.”