Dear Taxpayer

Take the “eish” out of tax-eish-ion this Tax Season.

Friday 1 July 2011 marked the beginning of Tax Season 2011. The deadline was 25 November 2011, please see our message under 'What's New' on this page. As you are still allowed to file, we will leave the info on this page for your assistance and convenience.

This year SARS wants to help you take the eish out of tax-eish-ion by offering you a few tax season tips:

• File your return early and electronically
  
• Be honest about the information you give SARS
  
• Need help?
  • You can call the SARS Contact Centre on 0800 00 SARS (7277) for advice. When calling the Contact Centre, please make sure you have your ID number and income tax reference number at hand for speedy assistance.
  • You can also visit your nearest SARS branch where our agents will file electronically for you. Make sure that you bring all your supporting documents with you.
• And don’t miss the deadline:
  Eish! This is really important. If you submit your return after the deadline you will face an administrative penalty of at least R250 per month that your return is outstanding!

The deadlines:

• If you are a non-provisional taxpayer who complete your tax return manually and post it or put it in a SARS drop box, you have until 30 September 2011.
• If you are a non-provisional taxpayer who uses eFiling to submit your return, you have until Friday 25 November 2011.
• Provisional taxpayers who file via eFiling have until Tuesday 31 January 2012 to submit their returns.

For the 2011 Employers Tax Season web page, click here.

 Click here to go to eFiling:

 
We are also taking the eish out of paying taxes for our honest taxpayers by clamping down on fraud. This year, the focus is on protecting taxpayers from any fraudulent transactions on their SARS accounts. Therefore, stricter measures are being introduced for taxpayers wanting to change their banking details with SARS. Taxpayers wanting to change their banking details are required to use the following channels to do so:

• SARS Preliminary Results Tax Season 2011
  Pretoria, 30 November 2011 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has again recorded encouraging growth in the levels of tax compliance in the country with a new record of 4.86 million income tax returns submitted during this year’s Tax Season.

• We would like to thank all those taxpayers who submitted their income tax returns by the deadline of 25th November. Taxpayers who have failed to submit their returns on time are urged to submit their returns without delay as outstanding returns will attract penalties and interest for late or non-submission.
  
  Provisional taxpayers have until 31 January 2012 to eFile their annual  Income Tax returns.

• Quick survey: please give your feedback on Tax Season 2011
  
  

• Tax Guide on the Deduction of medical, physical impairment and disability expenses (Issue 3)

• New Corporate Income Tax Processes and Procedures

• The PAYE Interim Reconciliation process started for Employers on 1 September until 31 October 2011. In case you are an employer and landed on this page, click on the banner below to go to everything you need to know!

• Special Outreach Schedule
  SARS is visiting selected malls and shopping centres to help taxpayers who need to file or register as taxpayers.
  
  
• Changing of Banking Details
  As of 1 July 2011 SARS has implemented new procedures and processes with respect to the way in which banking details changes will be implemented. Any changes to banking details will be verified before updating your banking profile with SARS. Any refunds due to you (if applicable) will be processed after your banking details are received and verified. Read more here...       

Frequently Asked Questions

Guides

• How to complete your ITR12 - Quick Guide
• How to complete your ITR12 - Quick Guide (Afrikaans)
• How to complete your ITR12 - Quick Guide (Tswana)
• How to complete your ITR12 - Quick Guide (Venda)
• How to complete your ITR12 - Quick Guide (Tsonga)
• How to complete your ITR12 - Quick Guide (Zulu)
• eFiling Step-by-Step Guide to your ITR12
• How to complete your IT12TR (Trusts) - Quick Guide
• How to complete your IT14 (Companies) - Quick Guide
• Comprehensive Guide to your Provisional Income Tax Return (IRP6)
• eFiling Step-by-Step Guide to your IRP6
• Guide to Taxpayer Centricity (Client - Approach functionality on eFiling)
• Change of Banking Details leaflet
• SARS Payment Rules
• Comprehensive Guide to your Income Tax Return ITR12
• Tax Guide on the Deduction of medical, physical impairment and disability expenses (Issue 3)

More information

Currently SARS is imposing penalties on those taxpayers who have not submitted returns over a number of years. SARS has also exercised its right as legislated in Section 99 of the Income Tax Act No 58 of 1962, to appoint agents to collect the outstanding penalty and interest amounts on behalf of the taxpayer and pay it over to SARS.

For more information on Penalties and Agent Appointments:

• Calling our Contact Centre on 0800 00 7277
• Visiting your nearest SARS branch. Make sure you have the following documents:
• • Proof of identity
  • Banking details
  • Tax Documents such as IRP5/IT3(a) employee tax certificates, IT3b interest certificates, Medical Aid certificates and receipts and Pension fund and retirement annuity certificates.