Friday 28 October – SARS Commissioner, Mr Tom Moyane officially opened the new SARS George branch, in the Western Cape today.
SARS Commissioner Moyane stressed commitment to delivering excellent service to taxpayers.
“SARS is wholeheartedly committed to expanding our service footprint throughout the country. Our goal is to make it as easy and convenient as possible for taxpayers to interact with us. We are committed to ensuring that our branches are more taxpayer-centric and modern, giving taxpayers a pleasant experience”.
SARS’s George office is the prototype of future SARS branches. Emphasising the new features at the branch, Commissioner Moyane noted the following:
- The branch has the newly introduced eDNA taxpayer verification system, which now assists in safeguarding taxpayer information and preventing fraud. The eDNA system validates taxpayer identity against information on the Department of Home Affairs databases using both the ID number and biometrics (fingerprints) of the taxpayer.
- The George branch is the first SARS branch in SA to offer free Wi-Fi to taxpayers. Taxpayers can eFile or use the eFiling App from their tablet or phone and file their tax return.
- The branch also is the first branch to launch digital signage which displays posters, notices and signs that provide real-time information to taxpayers while they wait.
The branch also features dedicated Small Business Desks aimed at servicing the small business sector. Information packs of small business material as well as specialised service will be offered at the Small Business Desks, providing a one-stop shop for those with small business queries. Small business queries such as business registrations, requests for tax clearance certificates and general business tax issues will be dealt with at these desks.
Commenting on the future, Commissioner Moyane indicated that the vision of SARS is to have a self-service area where taxpayers can use SARS equipment while be advised by SARS staff.
In addition to opening new branches SARS has also deployed 15 mobile tax units to service remote areas of South Africa. We also offer free taxpayer education workshops and we have a toll-free Contact Centre where taxpayers can get help with their tax and customs queries.
Commenting on the future, Commissioner Moyane indicated that the vision of SARS is to have a self-service area where taxpayers can use SARS equipment while be advised by SARS staff.
Since opening its doors on the 27 June 2016, the George branch had assisted 36 356 taxpayers. Approximately 16 000 of these taxpayers visited the branch to file their income tax returns.
Since yesterday approximately 4.5 million taxpayers had submitted their income tax returns for this tax season – Of those, over 1, 5 million returns were submitted via eFiling, while over 1,6 million returns were submitted electronically at a SARS branch by taxpayers who prefer face-to-face interaction with our trained branch consultants.
