SARS Media Release 2019

SARS eFiling grows in first two weeks of 2019 Tax Season

PRETORIA, Saturday 13 July 2019 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is pleased to announce that there has been an increase of five percent in the uptake of eFiling in the first two weeks of Tax Season 2019.

As at yesterday (Friday 12 July), SARS had received over 456 000 personal income tax submissions via eFiling compared to last year and over 36 600 submissions via the SARS MobiApp. What is the SARS MobiApp?

SARS has put in place Wi-Fi at its branches to convert taxpayers to these two revamped digital channels, eFiling and the SARS MobiApp, in an effort to further improve the uptake of these two digital channels.

SARS is working on a fix to a specific eFiling issue

Pretoria, Wednesday, 3 July 2019 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is aware of a problem that some taxpayers are experiencing. This occurs when they save their income tax return, and immediately re-open the return and press the tax calculates button before the form has fully rendered. The problem is aggravated when taxpayers click multiple times as they try to view their return.

SARS will be putting in a fix where all the buttons, including the calculate button, will be greyed while the form is still loading. SARS will also limit the clicks on each button to once.

SARS thanks those early filers for flagging this frustration with us and apologize for the inconvenience caused to taxpayers, especially those who are willing to be compliant by filing their income tax returns early.

Tax Season opens for eFilers and users of SARS MobiApp

PRETORIA, Monday 1 July 2019 – Deputy Finance Minister, Dr David Masondo, and the Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service (SARS), Mr Edward Kieswetter, have launched Tax Season 2019 for taxpayers who use the updated digital channels, eFiling and the SARS MobiApp.

Additional enhancements and changes for Tax Season 2019

In a major departure from previous years, to improve service to taxpayers and encourage conversion to on line filing, Tax Season 2019 is staggered.

This allows taxpayers who use SARS eFiling and the SARS MobiApp for smart phones and tablets, to file their income tax returns from today (1 July) until 4 December 2019. Taxpayers who wish to use on line filing for the first time, may also register as from 1 July.

Taxpayers who want to file their income tax returns at a SARS branch may do so from 1 August until 31 October 2019, a much shorter period than that allowed for users of SARS eFiling and the SARS MobiApp.

Clarification – Filing threshold and dates

Pretoria, Thursday 6 June 2019 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has noted that the criteria for taxpayers who may not be required to file an income tax return has been wrongly interpreted.

What filing season is actually about – Tax Season is about filing an income tax return to ensure that an individual taxpayer’s tax affairs are in order.

2019 Tax Filing Dates

  • eFiling opens on 01 July and closes on 04 December 2019
  • Branch Filing opens on 01 August and closes on 31 October 2019
  • Provisional taxpayers have until 31 January 2020 to file via eFiling

TAX SEASON 2019 – SARS takes another step to improve service to taxpayers

Pretoria, 4 June 2019 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has improved online filing and filing at a SARS branch with several exciting innovations for Tax Season 2019 to make it simpler and more convenient for taxpayers to file an income tax return.   The innovations also include the issuing of customised notices indicating specific documents required in the event of an audit or verification and a simulated outcome issued before a taxpayer has filed. Read more ..

SARS closes Alberton branch due to fire

Pretoria, Monday 27 May 2019 – The South African Revenue Service has closed the Alberton branch following a fire breakout that damaged the 1st floor today, Monday 27 May 2019.

The building was evacuated and no injuries were reported.

Consequently, operations have been stopped at the branch until the affected areas are declared safe for business. The Mobile Tax Unit will be deployed at the Alberton Campus to provide limited tax related services. Read more ..

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