Special Taxpayer Service Programme for small businesses underway

The Tax Administration’s annual Special Taxpayer Service Programme, which provides guidance to small business operators such as shopkeepers, taxi operators, farmers, hairdressers, on how to prepare their Income Tax Returns to meet the March 15 deadline is currently underway.
During the eight weeks leading up to the March 15 Income Tax due date, approximately two hundred (200) sessions will be held at Tax Offices, civic centres, church halls, school auditoriums, branch libraries, courthouses and other locations across the island. Agents from the Inland Revenue, Taxpayer Audit and Assessment and the Tax Administration Services Departments will team up to sit with individuals and small business operators to help them prepare their tax returns. Business persons who wish to use the service should carry their business documents, such as their Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN), bank statements, purchase invoices, expense receipts, sales records, utility bills and any other records that can be used to verify their income and expenses.
Small business operators are again urged to take advantage of the service which is being offered free of charge, as the Tax Administration moves to encourage voluntary compliance and to educate taxpayers. The programme which is in its eighth year saw over just under 1,200 taxpayers making use of the service to prepare their income tax returns in 2009, with 35% being new taxpayers.
Details of all venues, dates and times for the sessions are available by contacting the Tax Administration Customer Care Centre at 1-888-TAX-HELP (1-888-TAX-HELP), Tax Offices, or logging on to www.jamaicatax.gov.jm.