Jersey Appoints GST Director

by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London

19 July 2006

It emerged this week that Jersey's Income Tax Comptroller has appointed a director to lead the work of introducing a goods and services tax to the Island.

Steve Lowthorpe will join the Income Tax Office later this month as the newly appointed Goods and Services Tax Director.

According to a statement issued by the Treasury & Resources Department:

"Steve has considerable and wide experience of tax matters. During a 27-year career with HM Revenue and Customs, he focused on indirect taxation. Then during a three-year secondment to the Foreign Office, he worked in international taxation."

"More recently, he has been involved in helping Jersey research and develop its planned GST through his work with the private sector company Crown Agents."

"He has been a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ‘Panel of Experts’ since 2000 and has worked on a number of assignments for the guardian of the global economy."

From July 31, Mr Lowthorpe will work with the Income Tax Office, reporting to the Comptroller Malcolm Campbell, overseeing the introduction of GST in Jersey, including liaising with and training local businesses as they prepare for its implementation.

A broad-based goods and services tax (GST) is due to be introduced in Jersey in 2008 and is intended to raise GBP45 million. It is one element of a package of measures designed to offset a shortfall in revenue caused by the introduction of a zero-ten corporate tax system.

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