Over $18 billion in outstanding taxes collected in Special Arrears Settlement Programme

The Government’s Special Arrears Settlement Programme, administered by Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ), which ended May 31, 2025, has, so far, yielded over $18.6 billion in outstanding taxes while relieving business persons of over $6 billion of interest, penalty, and surcharge (IPS). The waivers and removal from taxpayer accounts so far relate to approximately 60,000 tax periods associated with Assets Tax, Corporate Income Tax, Education Tax, PAYE, Individual Income Tax, and Partnership Income Tax. Eventually over $30 billion IPS will be removed from taxpayer accounts, lowering the stock of debt on the books of TAJ, a media release notes.

During the period of the programme, which started January 28 and was originally scheduled to end on March 31, 2025, but was extended for a further two months, TAJ compliance officers made over 50,000 contacts to persons with outstanding balances, resulting in over 10,000 taxpayers indicating a willingness to pay all or part of their principal taxes.

Automatic waiver runs done up to June 5, 2025, resulted in the removal of $5,351,598 in interest, penalty, and surcharge. TAJ is advising taxpayers that they are carrying out further system configuration to automatically remove charges relating to General Consumption Tax (GCT), Special Consumption Tax (SCT), and PAYE late payment of Income Tax. It is projected that this will be done by the end of July 2025. Additional IPS waiver cases involving manual removal will be administered on an ongoing basis as they are identified and processed by our compliance teams, the release continued.

The Special Arrears Settlement Programme offered taxpayers a game-changing opportunity for the financial health and viability of their businesses and the opportunity to become and remain tax compliant. It provided an opportunity for persons and businesses, whether individuals, self-employed, company or organisations, to clear their debts, without the additional costs typically associated with late filing and payments related to several tax types. Walrick Johnson, a self-employed business operator from western Jamaica, shared that, he was “so grateful and feel so relieved to be a beneficiary of the programme”. He further explained that he could “now see my business in a new perspective as all the load drop off me”.

Taxpayers are encouraged to become and remain compliant. For additional information and or support, persons may contact a compliance officer, the Tax Administration Customer Care Centre at 888-TAX-HELP (829-4357), or visit the website www.jamaicatax.gov.jm.