Time is running out for individual taxpayers to submit their income tax returns via eFiling and the SARS MobiApp.
“The South African Revenue Service (SARS) reminds individual taxpayers, who are required to file an income return, that they have until Monday, 16 November 2020, to submit returns via the online platforms, namely the SARS MobiApp or eFiling,” said SARS.
Taxpayers, who have received auto-assessment from SARS (meaning their returns have automatically been filed and assessed), are also reminded that they must accept the assessment or edit their return on eFiling.
The revenue service said it will deal decisively with non-compliance such as the non-submission or late submission of returns.
Taxpayers, who are yet to file, can download the SARS MobiApp from the Playstore or Appstore and easily perform the following functions, among others:
1. Register as a taxpayer and for SARS eFiling.
2. Submit a return.
3. Use the phone camera to upload supporting documents.
4. Retrieve their username or reset their password.
5. View their Notice of Assessment (ITA34).
6. Request a call-back to get the assistance of a SARS agent.
However, not every taxpayer needs to submit a return.
Taxpayers who meet all of the following criteria need not submit a return:
1. Their total employment income for the year before tax is not more than R500 000.
2. They only receive employment income from ONE EMPLOYER for the full tax year.
3. They have no other form of INCOME (e.g. car allowance, business income, rental income, taxable interest or income from another job).
4. They don’t have any additional allowable tax related deductions to claim (e.g. medical expenses, retirement annuity contributions and travel expenses).
Provisional taxpayers, who use eFiling, have until Friday, 29 January 2021 to submit their returns, while the tax season for individual taxpayers who file at a branch closed on Thursday, 22 October 2020.
“SARS wishes to thank all taxpayers who have submitted their returns thus far, irrespective of the platform used,” SARS said.
SARS discontinues use of cheques
The revenue service also announced that following the decision by South African banks to discontinue cheques as a form of payment, it would no longer accept cheques as a form of payment at Customs ports of entry from 14 December 2020. It will also not accept cheques at banks from 1 January 2021.
Taxpayers and Customs clients, who need to pay SARS, can use one of the following options:
- eFiling
- Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
- At a bank branch (cash and EFT). All payments can be made at any ABSA, Capitec, FNB, Nedbank or Standard Bank branch.
- Travellers entering and leaving the country will still be able to pay cash at the port of entry.
SARS reminded taxpayers that all payments must contain the correct beneficiary ID and payment reference number (PRN). Detailed payment information is available on the SARS website www.sars.gov.za. - SAnews.gov.za
