Ministers congratulate Divisions on Award success - Online Services Press Release

TREASURY Minister Anne Craine MHK has congratulated the Income Tax Division on its success at this year’s Isle of Man Newspapers Awards for Excellence. The introduction of enhanced online tax services for individuals, delivered in partnership with the Department of Economic Development’s Information Systems Division, took first place in the category for Public Sector Achievement of the Year. Minister Craine said the Award was richly deserved and recognition of the innovative approach, professionalism and collaborative working across the two divisions.

Minister Craine commented:

‘Developing our online tax presence is part of the drive to achieve greater efficiencies and sharpen our focus on delivering services around the needs of the people who use them. It has already led to a significant cost saving in terms of officer time, printing, stationery supplies and postal expenditure which is very important in today’s financial climate. The take-up has been encouraging and we expect to further expand our online facilities in the years ahead.’

Adding his congratulations, Economic Development Minister Allan Bell MHK said the service was an excellent example of the benefits derived from Government’s investment in technology, and clear evidence of Departments working together to deliver real value for the Isle of Man. More than 2,000 individuals took advantage of the service in order to submit their 2009-10 annual tax returns online. Among the many benefits, online users can:

• Notify the Income Tax Division of changes to personal circumstances, for example getting married or moving house
• View a history of their previous tax returns
• View details of tax returns submitted online
• View details of their assessments and any charges
• View the balance of any tax owed or refunds due
• Make online payments by BACS credit transfer, debit card or credit card

When taxpayers start to use it, the system builds a unique profile so that annual returns are tailored to their individual circumstances.

Jennifer Gribbin, Senior Policy Officer at the Income Tax Division, said:

‘The online service provides customers with quick and easy access to their tax records and reduces the need for paper documents, correspondence and telephone calls. Its development has been a real team effort and the results have exceeded our expectations. Further enhancements are being planned as we are continually looking to increase the range of online options available to both individuals and employers.’

Andy Williams, ISD’s E-Services Manager, added:

‘This is a good example of how joined-up working across Departments is helping to achieve greater efficiencies within Government and more choice for our customers. The online tax service is the latest step in the development of an Isle of Man “e-Government”. Making use of new technology and improving service delivery via the Government website has the potential to achieve significant cost savings for the public purse.’