Tax authority suspends two in-line services at corporate area offices

The suspension will be initially for one week and comes as TAJ moves to reduce the crowds at these two corporate area offices.

This means persons will not be able to conduct these transactions at either of the tax offices located at King Street or Constant Spring. Instead they will only be allowed to make payments for property tax and fitness fees online at www.jamaicatax.gov.jm for the duration of the suspension.

The TAJ said the decision is necessary because of a surge in customers transacting business at these locations triggered by the temporary closure of all four tax offices in St Catherine, as well as the Cross Roads tax office, due to enhanced curfew measures currently in place in the parish.

In a release the company said: “This issue, when combined with the usually high end of month customer traffic, has resulted in increasing crowd. This presents a possible public health and safety risk in this already challenging time of the coronavirus pandemic impacting the island.”

Customers are being urged to use the TAJ online service to pay not just their property tax and certificate of fitness fee but to also do several other transactions that are available online.

“Since April, 76% of property tax and 84% of certificate of fitness fees have been paid in line at tax offices, in spite of the service being available online,” the TAJ said.

“The situation will be reviewed next week, following the expected reopening of the Spanish Town, Portmore, Linstead, Old Harbour and Cross Roads Tax Offices on Monday, May 4, 2020, and the public advised.”