SARS says it's working to fix eFiling bug

The South African Revenue Service said in a statement on Wednesday that it is aware of an eFiling problem that some taxpayers are experiencing.

Tax season opened on Monday for taxpayers who use eFiling and the SARS MobiApp.

The tax agency said the problem occurs when users save their income tax return, immediately re-open the return and then press the tax calculator button before the form has fully rendered.

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According to SARS, the problem is aggravated when taxpayers click multiple times as they try to view their return. SARS will be putting in a fix where all the buttons, including the calculator button, will be "greyed" while the form is still loading.

The revenue collection agency said it would also limit the number of clicks on each button to one. 

"SARS apologises for the inconvenience caused to taxpayers, especially those who are willing to be compliant by filing their income tax returns early," it said.

"We are encouraged by a positive uptake in the number tax returns submitted via eFiling this year. After two days of eFiling, SARS has already received over half a million individuals who have logged on, of whom 297 488 requested their return and 18 8140 filed."

• READ: SARS, Tax Ombud agree to work together to resolve taxpayer complaints

The agency announced earlier in the week that it was going to stagger the filing of returns. Taxpayers who use eFiling and the SARS MobiApp for smartphones and tablets to file their income tax returns from July 1 until December 4, 2019. Taxpayers who wish to use online filing for the first time may also register as from July 1.

Meanwhile, taxpayers who want to file their income tax returns at a SARS branch may do so from August 1 until October 31. This is a much shorter period than that allowed for users of eFiling and the the tax agency's app. 

Quick links 

Visit the SARS eFiling website here : www.sarsefiling.co.za

The SARS MobiApp is available on GooglePlay and the App Store

For July, the SARS Contact Centre will operate from 08:00 to 18:00 on weekdays, which amounts to an extra hour. You can contact the contact centre at 0800 00 7277.