The tax department has launched a call centre for taxpayers and a unit catering to big businesses in response to the increased demand for tax information and speedier turnaround on transactions

The customer-care centre is an expansion of the Tax-Help call service previously available to individuals.

The facility now incorporates the out-bound call service used by the tax department to alert taxpayers when they have missed a crucial tax date and also serves as a first-tier compliance function, said the Tax Administration Services Department (TASD).

As an added feature, taxpayers can now request basic transactions, such as change of address and verification of status of requests, without having to visit a tax office.

Opening hours

The Tax Administration Customer-Care Centre is open weekdays during normal business hours, and is staffed by 15 agents.

To access the care centre, call 1-888-TAX-HELP (829-4357); if calling from the United States, call 1-888-GO-JA-TAX (465-2829); or by email to taxhelp@tasd.gov.jm.

The facility was launched April 2 in May Pen, Clarendon, while the Large Taxpayer Office or LTO for businesses was launched April 8 at upper Constant Spring Road, St Andrew.

Finance minister Audley Shaw, speaking at the May Pen launch, said the customer centre would leverage technology to deliver services to taxpayers.

"The facility is a component of the wider tax reform being introduced by the Government and will provide users of the service greater access to vital tax information via the telephone, email or other available technology," Shaw said, promising there was more to come.

Speaking at the April 8 launch of the LTO, a unit within the St Andrew Revenue Centre, the minister said "the special facility would cater to that three per cent of taxpayers who contribute about 80 per cent of Jamaica's tax revenue".

Corporate taxpayers

It will cater to mainly corporate taxpayers with taxable sales or turnover of $500 million or more, or whose taxes exceed $50 million per year, including corporate income tax, PAYE, stamp duty and GCT.

The LTO will be managed by Dave Jeffery, who says his unit has already identified 454 entities as large taxpayers, 46 of which were public-sector bodies.

The LTO will focus initially on banks and other financial institutions, insurance companies, hotels, Government agencies and bauxite companies.

The TASD said a second phase of the customer-care project would be rolled out within six months, when tax authorities would commission into service a state-of-the-art customer relationship management system, which will provide "a wide range of automated services" to the public.

business@gleanerjm.com