Prior Year Basis (PYB) 2019 tax payment

​Proposal to defer payment scheme

​​It has been proposed that the start of the PYB payment scheme be deferred from 2025 to 2027.

The first instalment becoming due by 31 December 2027 and the last by 31 December 2043 will be subject to States approval.

Choose your payment option

You have until 30 September 2024 to select your payment option.

Please read through​ all the payment options and the additional information below, so you can make an informed choice about which option is right for you.

PYB 2019 tax payment option election  

Pay your 2019 PYB tax

You can pay the balance or make payments towards the balance up until 30 September 2024.

Pay your 2019 PYB tax

PYB 2019 tax leaflet

Download a digital copy of the prior year basis payment options tax leaflet.

Prior year basis 2019 payment options tax leaflet in English 

Prior year basis 2019 payment options tax leaflet in Polish

Prior year basis 2019 payment options tax leaflet in Portuguese

Choosing how to pay your PYB 2019 tax

In 2020, the States Assembly voted to move all PYB taxpayers to a Current Year Basis (CYB) of paying tax. As part of the reform, we froze PYB 2019 tax bills for later payment.  

This page explains the payment options available if you're a former PYB taxpayer, for paying your PYB 2019 tax bill.

You don't need to take any action until 2024. If you choose to pay with a payment plan, you don't need to make any payments until 2026. However, we're providing the details of the options, and an election form now, for those who want to put arrangements in place sooner.

You can also make your payment choice using a paper election form.

PYB 2019 tax payment option election 

Payment options

Option 1: Lump sum payment by September 2024

You can pay the entire amount of your PYB 2019 tax in one lump sum.

You can choose to pay your entire balance by 30 September 2024, either as one lump sum or a series of payments. If you later find you can't pay the entire balance by this date, you'll need to elect for one of the other payment options before 30 September 2024, or your choice of options may be restricted.

You can also pay the entire balance at any time.

I was part way through making extra payments to change to a current year basis

Option 2: Commit to pay on retirement

This is only available if you have not yet reached Pensionable Age at the time you make your election.

Check your pensionable age

With this option you put a financial investment product or an asset in place that will provide you with the money needed to pay your PYB 2019 tax in full within 12 months of you reaching Pensionable Age.

You will complete a declaration that you have in place a financial product or asset that will give you the means to pay your liability within 12 months of you reaching pensionable age.

You're not required to provide evidence when you elect, but you may be asked to provide proof that the product or asset is in place in the future.

This financial product would most commonly be a pension plan that includes a lump sum payment on retirement, but it could be another type of financial product, or assets such as property investments. You may already have such financial plans in place.

Option 3: Payment plan agreement

All payment plans start in 2025.

If you choose a payment plan agreement, you can spread the payment of your PYB 2019 tax over any number of years up to a maximum of 17, but you must ensure you pay a minimum amount each year and have paid the full amount by 31 December 2041. 

If you want to spread your payments over even longer you'll need to start paying sooner.

To choose a regular payment amount that suits you, use our online payment calculator.

PYB 2019 payment calculator

The election form gives you an option to select payment plan with or without a direct debit instruction.

Payment plan with Direct Debit

The simplest way to pay is by Direct Debit.

You won't miss a payment and a Direct Debit is the most cost effective way for us to collect the tax.

We'll email you a PDF confirmation of your election, then send you a Direct Debit mandate to complete when it's time to set up your payments ready for 2025.

Payment plan with periodic payments

This might suit you if your income greatly varies from month to month.

If you use this method, you would agree to pay the minimum 1/17th each year on the election form. You'll then need to pay online or by phone and make sure your payments cover your minimum amount by 31 December each year.

You can make a telephone payment by calling our Finance Hub on 440235.

If you pay by cheque, make it payable to 'Treasurer of the States', include your TIN and indicate the payment is for 'PYB tax' on the back, otherwise we won't be able to allocate your payment to your PYB 2019 tax account.

If you don't make an election for one of the options by 30th September 2024, a 17-year payment plan will be set up for your PYB 2019 tax and you will be required to start making payments in 2025.

Payment plans start date

All payment plans will start in 2025 when the first mandatory payments need to be made. A new PYB direct debit payment system is being developed and is expected to be available in 2026, in time for payments to be set up for 2025. 

If you choose a payment plan, you can choose a duration of between 1 and 17 years starting in 2025.

Payment holidays

You can apply once for a payment holiday of up to one year with no questions asked.

If you need more than a year's payment holiday or a second payment holiday at a later date, you'll need to include supporting evidence of the reason with your application.

A payment holiday doesn't reduce the amount you owe or change the date that the final amount needs to be paid by, so your regular payments after the payment holiday may need to increase.

Financial difficulties

If you have financial difficulties now or in the future and are struggling to pay your tax, speak to Revenue Jersey as soon as you can. We will take a supportive approach when we review your financial circumstances to be able to agree appropriate fair and manageable repayment terms with you.

As is the case for all tax debt, so long as you follow the agreed time to pay arrangement, no enforcement action would be taken.

If you’re married or in a civil partnership

Applying the rules for payment 

If you were married or in a civil partnership it’s the circumstances of the person in the couple who was the primary taxpayer in 2019 that determine which payment option you can take, and how your situation will be dealt with if your circumstances change, for example bereavement, retirement or divorce.

I've already retired

The primary taxpayer is the husband, the older spouse in a same sex marriage or usually the older partner in a civil partnership.

Independent taxation

Plans are currently underway to move all taxpayers to Independent Taxation by 2025. However, payment of the PYB 2019 tax will always be subject to the laws that were in place for the year of assessment (2019). So, even if you move to Independent Taxation in future, if you were married or in a civil partnership in 2019, the primary taxpayer in the couple at that time, will remain responsible until it is paid in full.

Information about Independent Taxation

I want to switch my chosen payment option

You may apply to move from pay on retirement to a payment plan. This application must be approved by Revenue Jersey.

From pay on retirement to payment plan

If your circumstances change after you have made your payment election, you may wish to apply to move from pay on retirement to a payment plan. This application must be approved by Revenue Jersey.

The final date to pay the PYB 2019 tax is still 31 December 2041, so your instalments may be higher than if you'd started to pay earlier.

If you elect for a payment plan, it will not be possible to switch to pay on retirement.

Guidance notes on switching between options

I'm retired and can't afford a payment plan

In exceptional circumstances, if you can't afford a payment plan over maximum 17 years, you can apply to defer the payment to be paid from your estate if making regular payments would cause financial hardship.

If your application is approved, the executor or administrator of your estate would then have to settle the PYB 2019 tax before any assets can be distributed.

How to apply

This option is only available if you were aged 65 or over on 31 December 2020. The PYB 2019 tax would need to be settled by the executor or administrator in the normal way.

We may request evidence to support the application and may also consider the following:

• any reasonable living expenses
• any assets you own or have an interest in
• any other relevant factors

You must apply in writing to the Finance Hub evidencing that you would experience financial hardship if you were to make regular payments.

I'm leaving Jersey

PYB 2019 tax becomes fully due and payable the date you leave Jersey permanently, or otherwise become non-resident. You should pay your PYB 2019 tax in full by the date you leave the island. If you can't afford to pay, you'll need to contact the Finance Hub on 440088 to make a time to pay arrangement.​

I'm a non-resident and selling my property

If you're a non-resident with PYB 2019 tax you can pay it off with a payment plan as long as you continue to own the property, that generated the income, that was taxed in 2019.

If you sell the property or it stops being a rental property, the PYB 2019 tax will become due and payable on the date of sale.

If you're in receipt of rental income from more than one property, the PYB 2019 tax will become due and payable upon the sale of the last property that generated income that was taxed in 2019, or when it stops being a rental property.

If you can't afford to pay, you'll need to contact the Finance Hub on 440235 to make a time to pay arrangement.

I'm in a business partnership

Your PYB 2019 partnership tax is split between each partner in the same proportion as the share of the general partnership's profits that each partner was entitled to in 2019 under the partnership agreement. This proportion is added to your PYB 2019 personal tax and is included in the deferred payment balance.

Earlier payment deadlines and partnerships

Getting advice on your election choice

You may choose to seek advice from an independent financial adviser, who will be able to talk you through how the different options might suit you according to your circumstances.

Our Treasury and Exchequer Finance Hub will support you throughout the PYB payment process, but Government officers can't advise you on which option to choose, it's your personal financial decision to make.

For queries on your balance or specific tax queries call Revenue Jersey on 440300.

For queries on payment plans, payments or elections call Finance Hub on 440235.

PYB 2019 tax impact on other borrowing

Lenders will usually take account of household income and expenditure when considering a borrowing request. We have discussed the potential impact of the suspended 2019 liability with representatives of Jersey lenders, who indicated they don't see it as an issue, but that it may have some impact in certain situations. 

While there are significant differences in disposable income between households, generally speaking, where payments are spread out over a period of 10 years or more, it is likely they would not have a material impact on a person's ability to borrow.

I've retired but my spouse or partner is still working

The responsibility for the debt is with the primary taxpayer.

This means your payment options are dependent on the primary taxpayer's circumstances.

If it is your 2019 PYB tax and you have already retired, you don't have the option of paying the tax from your spouse or partner's pension plan. 

Couples who are separately assessed

You may be married or in a civil partnership but have elected for separate assessment and so receive your own tax return and tax rate. If you were separately assessed for your 2019 assessment, you will each have your own 2019 PYB tax bill due and payable by you. You will need to make your own election for how you wish to pay just your 2019 tax bill using one of the payment options.

Separation and divorce

Payment of the 2019 tax will always be subject to the laws that were in place for the 2019 year of assessment. So, even if you separate or divorce in future, if you were married or in a civil partnership in 2019, the primary taxpayer at that time will remain legally responsible for the PYB 2019 tax until it is paid in full. 

It's usual for any outstanding 2019 PYB tax to form part of the full picture of assets and liabilities to be considered in the usual way within settlement negotiations, whether by private negotiation, or with the help of lawyers and the family court.

I was part way through converting to a current year basis

If you were already in the process of overpaying your tax, to change from prior year to current year, you will have either requested:

• your credit to be paid against the PYB 2019 tax which will have reduced it or possibly paid it in full
  
• your credit be paid back as a refund
  

If you didn't make a request, your credit will have been rolled forward against the next year's tax.

More information

You can find additional information and a guide to the regulations in the full 2019 PYB payment guidance notes.