Sales Tax Row Rages On In Jersey

by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London

01 June 2004

A Jersey senator has created shockwaves by threatening to report Chartered Institute of Taxation President, John Whiting to the CIoT, over a PricewaterhouseCoopers review that Mr Whiting conducted on behalf of the Jersey government.

According to the Accountancy Age news service, Senator Stuart Syvret is arguing that as Mr Whiting had previously expressed support for a plan to introduce a sales tax on the Island in order to compensate for revenue lost as a result of the forthcoming zero rate of corporate tax, the review undertaken by PwC was not independent.

"I am going to make a complaint concerning Mr Whiting to the Chartered Institute of Taxation," Senator Syvret told Accountancy Age, explaining that he believes that he has a 'prima facie' case against the CIoT boss.

Mr Whiting responded by explaining that he had been asked to talk about where Jersey's tax system was going in general terms at a seminar earlier this year.

"Naturally enough, I gave a reaction to proposals on Jersey's tax. Does this make me non-independent? I just don't see it," he observed.

Mr Whiting went on to add that:

"The firm is absolutely convinced we have done this properly and the client seems very well satisfied. Syvret is entitled to disagree."

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