However one man has told the Guernsey Press that was absolutely not the case when he went looking for a repayment he was due.
He had received a tax account which indicated that he was owed about £1,900.
He visited the Revenue Service’s office at Wheadon House to ask about a repayment and said it was made clear that the money would not be paid to him unless he requested it.
‘The lady behind the counter was emphatic that I needed to fill in a form,’ he said. ‘She even said that people having to request repayments was a recent decision which meant more work for the staff.’
But director of Revenue Service operations Jean Mehers has denied that this was the case.
‘If a repayment is due, customers do not need to contact us or fill out a repayment request form. The repayment will be processed in due course,' she said.
The only time someone would have to ask for their repayment would be in specific situations, such as if they wanted it to be paid directly into their bank account, she said.
Similarly, they would need to submit a request form if the amount was less than £20, or if they wished it to be paid to someone else on their behalf.
Mrs Mehers said that 14,265 tax assessments had now been issued for 2024.
‘These assessments are being released in a controlled manner to support the service’s operational capacity. This means that repayments can be processed on a reasonable timescale and avoid overwhelming the service and frustrating customers.’
However, Mrs Mehers added that a credit showing on an assessment did not always mean that a repayment is due. It may be used against outstanding debt from previous years.
Policy & Resources president Lindsay de Sausmarez told the States in June that a ‘genuine turning point’ had been reached in turning around the Revenue Service.
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