D-day for individual tax returns looms

The last day to file individual tax returns without being penalised is Wednesday October 31.  

The SA Revenue Service has appealed to SA taxpayers to submit their returns at branches or via eFiling before the cutoff date, or face administrative penalties ranging from R200 to R15 000.

Due to a likely last-minute rush which will cause long queues at branches, the tax agency has recommended that taxpayers who have not yet filed their returns use eFiling. 

The revenue agency says it has tried to make submitting the returns easier. 

"SARS has made it easy for taxpayers by pre-populating tax returns with information received from third party data. This leaves fewer fields for the taxpayer to complete and requires that the taxpayer merely verifies the information contained on their tax return."

Following testimony at the Nugent Commission of Inquiry into governance at SARS about strain on the eFiliing system, tax agency earlier in the month assured taxpayers that the eFiling system was fully operational. 

"The perception created that the eFiling system is on the verge of collapse is incorrect, and unfortunately has the effect of creating unnecessary alarm and uncertainty," it said. 

Important info 

Contact the SARS call centre at 0800 00 7277

Visit the SARS eFiling website at www.sarsefiling.co.za

Visit the SARS website www.sars.gov.za

The filing dates for individual provisional taxpayers may be different. 

Find a list of SARS branches here.