Revenue Service improvements 'in next few months'

Islanders should start to see "tangible improvements" in the Revenue Service soon amid a backlog of thousands of tax returns, according to the States' boss.

Boley Smillie, chief executive of the States, said officials would be ready to outline how improvements would be delivered "within the next few months".

The Revenue Service has struggled to keep up with demand since the Covid pandemic, with late rebates costing the States more than £260,000.

Smillie said: "As I have consistently said publicly whenever I've been asked about the Revenue Service, turning it around is not a short-term endeavour."

Smillie added: "It has required an initial focus on establishing the scale of the problem, which in turn will allow us to set out how we're to deliver the improvements that the community needs and deserves."

Treasury lead, deputy Charles Parkinson, said last month the service had "fallen apart to some extent" with 20,000 tax returns caught in the backlog.

Jean Mehers, director of the Revenue Service operations, said a plan was being developed to restore performance "over time".

"The programme delivered a move away from outdated and unsupported legacy technology," she said.

"While the benefits of that investment are currently being overshadowed by existing backlogs, it provides the platform needed to stabilise services and support longer term improvements as the recovery plan is delivered."

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