Enhanced eTax portal offers online tax payments

Employers, taxpayers and tax agents in the BVI can now file payroll tax declarations and pay all tax types online by credit or debit card through the government’s enhanced eTax Filing Portal.

The portal officially launched on Monday, November 2. The Inland Revenue Department, supported by the Department of Information Technology, delivered the upgraded filing system, an online Payment Gateway and an Internal Operations Portal.

The system, available at efiling.gov.vg, accepts payments for all tax types, including property tax.

“With eTax, employers and taxpayers can file their returns and pay what they owe online, at any time and from anywhere, without needing to visit a government office,” Premier and Minister of Finance Dr Natalio Wheatley stated.

Employers can enter employee details manually or import them in batches using CSV spreadsheets from existing templates. The portal automatically calculates tax totals, allows users to save unfinished work and supports online corrections for previously submitted tax periods.

The ministry said the enhanced system is expected to improve the speed and accuracy of payroll submissions. It also centralises assessment data to help Inland Revenue officers resolve queries faster and introduces faster card processing and secure digital records.

“This makes the Virgin Islands an easier place to do business and reflects this government’s commitment to using technology to serve our people better,” Dr Wheatley stated.

He also commended the Inland Revenue Department and the Department of Information Technology for delivering the system.

The announcement follows earlier efforts to move tax administration online. In January 2023, the departments were preparing the Standard Integrated Government Tax Administration System, known as SIGTAS 3.0, for a planned launch in March of that year.

The proposed system included online registration, access to tax information, account queries and an embedded messaging centre. The government also expected it to facilitate online payments through its electronic payment gateway.

For the enhanced eTax portal, existing users can sign in with their current credentials. New users can register online and consult the step-by-step eTax Quick Guide.

The ministry directed general enquiries to [email protected] or (284) 468-2155.