Assistance for Employers to E-File Annual Returns (S02) Intensifies

Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ), along with its partner agencies National Housing Trust (NHT), National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and Heart Trust/NTA, has stepped up activities to provide support to employers to meet the new mandatory e-filing requirement. Business persons can access assistance through a series of sessions to help them with electronically filing their Employers Annual Return (S02) to meet the March 31 due date.

The requirement for all employers to electronically file their Employers Annual Return online via the Tax Portal www.jamaicatax.gov.jm, took effect on of January 1, 2015. TAJ and its partner agencies have since ramped up efforts to assist business persons to make the transition to mandatory e-filing, as manual returns will no longer be accepted. A series of workshops and contact with employers, which began in October last year, will continue up until the March 31 due date. The sessions are expected to assist employers with the registration process and to guide them how to file online in keeping with the new filing regimen now in effect.

Over the next few weeks Customer Service and Compliance teams from TAJ, NHT, NIS and HEART will increase their island wide programme of activities to provide one-on-one support, as well as group sessions for employers, to assist them to register to use the online option and to demonstrate how to file online. Accountants and other tax preparers may also access support on how to register their clients and to use the TAJ electronic filing platform.

In addition, plans are now far advanced to establish filing centers and work stations, where employers and other taxpayers may utilize computers to be made available for electronic filing and to get assistance from trained personnel. These filing points will be set up at several locations operated by the various partner agencies, ahead of the March 2015 filing period.

This latest phase in the mandatory e-filing requirement expands the previous requirement for those businesses employing twenty (20) or more persons. The aim is to further enhance the capacity of the agencies to more accurately capture data in a timely and cost effective manner and to assist in the efforts to develop a more efficient tax system. It also forms part of the continued effort of the Government of Jamaica to make it easier to do business, as employers will no longer have to visit a TAJ or NHT Office to file their consolidated annual S02 return.

Persons may contact the TAJ Customer Care Centre at 1-888-Tax-Help (1-888-829-4357) or the NHT Customer Service 1-888-225-5658 toll-free for further information or assistance.