To mark the commemoration of Deaf Awareness Month, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) is set to assist the deaf community with their tax affairs.
Specific SARS branches across the country will assist the deaf on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The initiative will see South African sign language interpreters being availed to the specific branches over the course of September.
The service will be rendered at the following branches:
- Tuesdays – Roodepoort, Worcester, Pretoria North (4 and 11 September) branches and the Pretoria CBD branch (18 and 25 September);
- Wednesdays - Alberton branch (5, 12, 19 and 26 September); and
- Fridays - Vereeniging, Polokwane, Durban CBD, Mthatha and Nelspruit branches (7, 14, 21 and 28 September).
“The public is requested to disseminate the message to all the deaf in their respective communities and to note that this service will also be extended to other members of the community who need to visit the SARS branches,” said the revenue service on Wednesday.
The initiative will afford deaf taxpayers with a unique opportunity to attend to their tax affairs.
“SARS has pledged to improve accessibility for the deaf and blind communities, and to educate the general public about tax matters,” it said.
In June, acting SARS Commissioner Mark Kingon announced a shorter tax season timeframe that will run three weeks shorter than in the past.
This year’s tax season which kicked off in July runs 18 business days shorter than usual, and will conclude on 31 October 2018.
Meanwhile, provisional taxpayers who use eFiling (http://www.sarsefiling.co.za/default.aspx?aspxerrorpath=/default.aspx ), have until 31 January 2019 to file, while the deadline for manual submissions is 21 September. – SAnews.gov.za
