THE last-minute flood on Tax Administration offices across the island yesterday to meet the Government’s six-month traffic ticket amnesty should not have prevented the payment of General Consumption Tax (GCT) returns, the tax authority has said.

According to Meris Haughton, director of communications at Tax Administration Jamaica, arrangements were put in place to accommodate people making GCT payments, which were due yesterday.

“What we have been doing is having persons managing the floor, managing the crowd,” Haughton told the Jamaica Observer yesterday morning.

“We have special lines for persons making their GCT payments as well as there are options such as electronic drop boxes within the tax offices. So persons making their annual returns or paying by cheque can use those boxes, or they have the option of using the online facility to file their returns,” Haughton said.

Asked whether any special consideration would be given to persons who, because of the heavy crowds, were unable to file GCT returns, Haughton said they would have to deal with any cases presented on an individual basis.

Haughton disclosed that 65 per cent of the traffic ticket transactions were made between December 27 and 29, despite the amnesty being in place since July 1, 2012.

Up to December 29, payments were made on a total of 46,887 tickets.