Sars to set up mall service points

Johannesburg - The SA Revenue Service (Sars) would set up service points at selected shopping malls to assist taxpayers to file their tax returns early, the service said.

In a statement on Thursday, Sars said that since the start of the tax season on July 1, it had visited 787 workplaces throughout the country where employers had requested Sars to assist employees with their tax affairs.

According to the Sars Executive for Taxpayer Engagement, Sobantu Ndlangalavu, Sars outreach teams have assisted 30 000 employees to register and file on e-Filing through these workplace visits.

"At the same time, these workplace visits and other points of service engagements have resulted in 15 327 new taxpayers being registered," Ndlangalavu said.

To date Sars had received more than 1.3 million returns for the 2010 tax season.

"This work of the Taxpayer Services Engagement Unit reflects the commitment of Sars to continually reach out to taxpayers; improve the quality of service they receive and to educate current and future taxpayers about their tax responsibilities," Ndlangalavu said.

"Furthermore, Sars wants to be where taxpayers are in order to make it easier for taxpayers to file early and to reduce the number of taxpayers visiting Sars branches."

Ndlangalavu said the unit also conducted taxpayer education workshops to equip taxpayers with relevant information about the tax products and services offered by Sars.

"In this way we help to increase compliance and grow the tax register," he said.

From the weekend of August 28 through to November, Sars would be at the Pavilion and Gateway Malls in Durban, the Riverside Mall in Nelspruit, the Cape Gate Shopping Mall in Cape Town and the Waterfall Shopping Mall in Rustenburg.

Taxpayers were asked to bring an income tax return (ITR12) form; an IRP5 form from the employer; a medical aid certificate, a retirement annuity contribution; investment income statements; and all supporting documentation to substantiate claims.