Pretoria, 17 July 2014 – SARS branch offices across the country and the SARS Contact Centre will be open for an extra 67 minutes on Friday 18 July 2014, to assist taxpayers in the spirit of Mandela Day.
The decision was taken on the basis that it would be the best way for SARS to contribute to the spirit of service to the people of South Africa that the legacy of former President Nelson Mandela continues to represent.
By this morning, more than 887 000 taxpayers have submitted their tax returns for the 2014 Tax Season. For SARS, the annual Tax Season represents one of the biggest, direct engagements between a public institution of government and a growing body of taxpayers. It also serves as a key determinant of the levels of compliance amongst ordinary citizens with the law.
SARS would therefore want to ensure that it makes available all service offerings within its means to assist taxpayers who want to comply with their legal obligations. Since the 2014 Tax Season opened on 1 July this year, SARS officials have assisted more than 337 000 taxpayers to submit their returns at branch offices, more than 550 00 returns have been submitted electronically on eFiling and the SARS call centre answered more than 338 000 calls from taxpayers.
SARS branch offices will tomorrow be open until 17:07 (usually closing at 16:00) and the SARS Contact Centre (0800 007 277) will be open until 18:07 (usually closing at 17:00). SARS Mobile Tax Units will also extend their hours wherever possible, depending on the area in which they are operating.
