About the SARS Large Business Centre (LBC)
The Large Business Centre (LBC) was officially launched on 30th August 2004. The LBC is the latest offering from the South African Revenue Service in its drive to provide a world-class service. The LBC is a dedicated facility created to provide an unprecedented array and level of services, across all categories of tax, to its most important clients - large corporations and high net worth individuals. The aim is to enhance the efficiency, certainty and simplicity with which tax matters are resolved. The first priority of the Large Business Centre is to establish and maintain sound, productive relationships with significant taxpayers which will result in a tax and customs environment more conducive to business growth and foreign direct investment.
The LBC provides a service to companies listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange and their subsidiaries); All unlisted companies and their subsidiaries with turnover above R250 million; parastatals; major financial institutions; multinational corporations and their local branches and individuals with a high net worth.
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Sector teams
In order to ensure that taxpayers receive input that is not only correct and comprehensive, but that takes account of the special circumstances pertaining to their industry or circumstances, the LBC has been segmented into eight industry sectors, and a ninth area to cater for the specific needs of high net worth (or wealthy) individuals. Each sector is staffed with its own assessing, audit and collections teams, which have an in-depth knowledge of the application of all taxes within their respective sectors.
In addition, every client is assigned to a relationship management team equipped to provide assistance across all taxes which will provide a single point of contact between the company and SARS. Access to SARS will be easier, and service will improve steadily as the relationship management team becomes more familiar with the relevant industry sector, the business or the unique needs of the High Net worth client. Every LBC client has been allocated to one of the following sectors:
Primary
- Agriculture
- Co-ops
- Forestry and/or logging
- Fishing
- Energy and utilities – Oil and Gas
- Energy and utilities – Electricity, water and gas
- Transport – air
- Transport – land
- Transport – sea
- Transport – infrastructure
- Freight services
- Transport other
Mining
Manufacturing
- Chemicals
- Metals
- Non-metallic
- Machinery and electrical equipment
- Wood products
- Containers and packaging
- Textiles, apparel and luxury
- Motor vehicles
- Other transport vehicles
- Food, beverages and tobacco
- Pharmaceutical
- Recycling
Construction
- Construction and Building Materials
- Real estate, including Property Unit Trust Companies
Retail
- Retail
- Wholesale
- Financial
- Banking
- Collective Investment Schemes
- Diversified financial services
- Insurance long and short term and
- Other financial services
Information Technology & Communication
- Information technology
- Information technology hardware and equipment
- Telecommunication
- Media
General
- Leisure
- Education
- Commercial Services
- Health Care
- Diversified Groups
- Other
High Net Worth Individuals
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Services
The tax services offered by the sector teams include:
- Income tax
- Secondary tax on companies (STC)
- Value Added Tax (VAT)
- Pay As You Earn (PAYE), including the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and the Skills Development Levy (SDL)
- Uncertificated Insurance Tax (UIT)
- Donations tax
- Royalties tax
- Stamp duty
- Certain Customs services
Additional features to be introduced include: a transparent compliance approach; a dispute-resolution process; electronic filing of returns; a clear audit policy; and advance rulings.
