Saturday, October 22, 2011


INCOME TAX & CONTRACTS IN JAMAICA
Persons may enter into contracts of varying kinds in order to render services.
These include:
v  Contract of Service
v  Contract for Service
v  Contract for Personal Service
1. CONTRACT OF SERVICE:
Once a Contract of Service is identified, then this means that the contract is one of employment. The amounts paid under this contract are emoluments and therefore all statutory deductions are to be made e.g.Income Tax ; Education Tax; and employees’ contributions, NHT, and NIS.
Employers must pay employers’ contributions for NHT and NIS and also Education Tax on these emoluments.
Under this contract arrangement a person (employee) is under an obligation to render personal services to another person (employer) and the: -
ü  Individual (employee) is subject to the supervision, direction and control of another person.
ü  Individual (employee) holds an integral position within the organization e.g. Accountant /Managing Director.
ü  Individual (employee) holds an integral position within the organization e.g. Accountant Managing Director.
ü  Individual (employee) does not conduct business on his account.
ü  Contract is a legally binding exclusive service agreement between the performer and payer.
ü  Tools, materials and work place are provided by payer.
ü  Individual receives a payment of a fixed salary and reimbursement of the performer’s expenses by the payer.
ü  Performer receives vacation leave and any other staff related benefit.
ü  Performer is required to file regular, oral or written status reports with the payer.

 2. CONTRACT FOR SERVICES

This contract represents an independent (business) and the individual is therefore responsible for his/her returns and payments under the self-assessment system: This applies to:
  • An individual who is not subject to the super- vision, direction and control of another person.
  • An individual who does not hold an integral position within the organization e.g. Accountant Managing Director
  • Individual who conducts business on his own account.
  • The performer’s right to provide services to more than one person at a time with a separate contract between the performer and each payer.
  • Performer provides his own equipment
  • Payment of a fixed amount or commission for the complete job rather than periodic payments.
  • Performer assumes his/her own financial risk and has responsibilities for his/her investment and management. 

3. PERSONAL SERVICES:

The definition of “Personal Services”includes services of a professional,clerical, technical administrative or managerial nature”.
(a) where personal services are provided by a person (the employee) to another person (the employer) on behalf of a company and the employee is subject to the right of supervision, direction or control by the
employer as to the manner in which he renders those services, and

(b) the renumeration for the services would not, apart from this paragraph Section 5(1) (ix)
of The Income Tax Act be treated as emoluments, then the relevant services shall be treated as duties of an office or  employment of profit.

Contact UHY Dawgen Chartered Accountants for further info ON Taxation in Jamaica:

Unit 34,Winchester Business Centre
15 Hope Road, Kingston 10
Tel:1876-9084007/7542074
Fax:1876-7540380

No comments:

Post a Comment

Featured Post

Dawgen Global Firm Profile

Dawgen Global is an integrated multidisciplinary professional service firm We are integrated as one firm and provide several profession...