Tax Season 2009
This year, we’ve made the income tax return process easier than ever! Just follow this simple step-by-step guide and before you know it you will have completed and submitted your tax return and can sit back, relax and know you have helped make South Africa great!
Question 1: Do I have to submit an Income Tax Return to SARS?
I earn under R120 000
I earn above R120 000
Note: R120 000 means total salary income per year before tax with no additional income or deductions that you want to claim for.
Info box: Did you know? The point of no return: Almost 1 million taxpayers did not need to submit a return last year because they were under the R120 000 threshold
You don’t have to submit a return to SARS!
Yes, you have to submit an Income Tax return to SARS. Proceed further for tips on how to file.
Question 2: How do I want to file?
Manual
Electronic
If you choose manual submission (paper return) then you need to request a return by completing an Income Tax
Return Request (ITRR) form. These will be posted to all taxpayers who submitted manually last year or who visited a branch to file their return. You should receive one by 15 July 2009. If for some reason you don’t receive one, you may phone the call centre on 0800 00 SARS (7277)
or visit a branch and order one.
Once you’ve got your ITRR, you need to answer another question: have your tax affairs changed in the last year?
o This year we will tell you on the ITRR what fields you completed on your income tax return last year eg. one IRP5, medical deductions and retirement annuity. If these are still the same, you simply need to sign your ITRR and send it back to us.
o If something has changed, eg. you have a new job or you’ve taken out a retirement annuity, then you need to tell us this on the ITRR so that we can custom-make your Income Tax Return (ITR12) with just the right number of sections in it. This you do by completing the back page, signing it and sending it to us.
What can I do while I wait for my return?
Gather your supporting documents, like your IRP5/IT3(a)s, medical certificates, pension and retirement annuity certificates, travel logbook, etc. You don’t need to submit them anymore but you will need them to check the pre-populated part of your return and to complete the other sections. Remember, you need to keep these for five years in case we want to inspect them.
How do I complete my return?
Step 1: Once your ITR12 arrives, you firstly need to check it. If all the pre-populated information is correct and you have no other fields that you need to complete, you simply sign the ITR12 and send it back to SARS.
Step 2: If any of the pre-populated information is incorrect, you can change it by writing over the pink text in black ink. And if something is no longer relevant, you just draw a line through the middle of the text with black ink.
(info box: why pink ink? Our scanners can’t read pink very well – so when your return is scanned electronically all we see are the changes you have made. If there are no changes – we simply use the information on our system which appeared in pink on your
return)
Step 3: Make sure that you complete all mandatory and relevant fields. One of these is a new field for bank details, which is vital to complete as we cannot pay you a refund without verifying this. (Info box: In 2008 there were more than 150 000 unclaimed refunds which SARS could pay because we don’t have the right banking details for taxpayers!)
Step 4: Sign it! We won’t accept your return if it is not signed.
How do I submit my return?
Post it in the self addressed postage-paid envelope supplied or drop it off at a SARS branch. Make sure you have sent it in by 18 September 2009. And the earlier you file, the quicker we can process it and give you a refund (if applicable).
Remember the deadline for Manual returns is 18 September 2009. Once you submitted your manual return the average turnaround time is two months.
You may file electronically via our eFiling system/website:
Step 1: Register
-
if you haven’t already done so! Join the 2 million people already enjoying the speed, convenience and ease of eFiling.
Step 2:
Once you have registered or logged in
, you will find your ITR12 already populated with your personal and financial information – if your employer has provided us with your IRP5 information! If not, you can try again later by clicking on the “Refresh IRP5 Data” button – or you can complete it yourself if you have a paper IRP5.
Step 3:
You can then complete a questionnaire on the first page of the ITR12, which will create all the fields you need to complete your return.
Step 4:
Check the pre-populated information and make changes where necessary. Make sure that you complete all mandatory and relevant fields. One of these is a new field for bank details, which is vital to complete as we cannot pay you a refund without verifying this.
Step 5:
You can then use our online tax calculator to check your return and get an indication of your assessment.
Step 6:
Once you’re ready to submit the return to SARS, just click on the “File” button. If something is incorrect or incomplete, eFiling will prompt you to correct it.
Remember the deadline for Electronic Returns is 20 November 2009. Once you submitted your manual return the average turnaround time is
two days.
Info box: Did you know?
Just two years after the introduction of electronic submission for individual returns, over 86% of all returns were submitted via either the SARS eFiling system or electronically at our branches
branch
Just bring all your supporting documents to your nearest
branch and we will do it all for you! No need to request a form, no need to wait, no need to register – just come and let us help you. But remember – the longer you wait to come to a branch, the longer the queues and the longer the wait! So come early and get the service we want to give you!
Remember the deadline for Electronic Returns is 20 November 2009. Once you submitted your manual return the average turnaround time is
two days.
Did you know?
Last year we assisted more than 1 million taxpayers to complete their income tax returns free of
charge!