People 'struggling' ahead of tax return deadline

The deadline for tax returns is 31 January

Some people in Guernsey are struggling to complete individual tax returns for 2023 ahead of the deadline, the director of a finance company says.

This will be the first time islanders will be responsible for their own tax returns, regardless of their marital status.

Diane de Garis, director at DNA accounting tax consultancy, said the company had seen clients and the public face "an awful lot of issues".

"We are seeing people now panicking because they can't get in online, lots of people are just realising that they need to do a separate return, rather than a married couples return," she said.

'We're worried'

Ms de Garis said young people and the elderly had been "struggling" with the system.

"Some (people) in their 80s have said to us they think they're going to die before they get their rebates," she said.

"We need this to be in a better place, we're hearing that they are nearly there with the transformation of the tax system.

Resident Amy Ford said the process had been "a bit of a nightmare".

"I tried to do it online and kept getting an error message," she said.

"I then had to do a paper one that then involved queuing twice to get one initially and then to give it back in again."

'Online is the way to go'

Another resident, Tony Browning, said the process was "long winded" but worked out well.

"My wife's not quite so well," he said.

"For her it said single, and then she changed it to married, but then it wouldn't let her fill in the form."

Despite his wife's struggles, Mr Browning said the online form was "the way to go".

Ms de Garis said anybody with a late return, or anybody who has submitted but has received a penalty notice, needs to contact the tax office ahead of the 31 January deadline.

The BBC has approached the States for comment.