Online GST collection review to be scrutinised

In January, the government launched a review into whether online retailers should charge GST on all personal goods, as well as whether to remove the existing GST ‘de minimis’ level of 5% tax on imports over £135.

And now the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel has announced its own review ahead of any potential changes to government policy. Its first focus will be a government report due next month. If the government proposes changes, the panel said it would ‘seek to identify whether these changes demonstrate value for money and benefit public finances, as well as whether they are applied in a fair, consistent way which considers the purchasing needs of Islanders’.

It will also compare proposals to changes in the UK and EU.

Senator Steve Pallett, who will be leading the review, said: ‘It is important that any proposed changes to GST that arise from the government’s review are scrutinised. We will examine the deliverability of these changes and the potential financial impact on revenue raising and on individuals, particularly on those on a lower income.’

The new St John Constable, Andy Jehan, has been co-opted into the panel for the review, due to his transport and logistics experience.

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