What’s New at SARS

26 October 2022 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) welcomes the consistent emphasis by the Minister of Finance, Mr Enoch Godongwana, on ensuring that government finances are spent in an equitable, efficient and flexible manner to support South Africa’s development objectives.

The Minister’s policy message focused on strengthening South Africa’s fiscal integrity over the medium term through managing the county’s finances with prudence. The work of SARS is central in that efficient tax revenue collections contribute to the fiscal space required to attend to important social and investment spending priorities whilst keeping an eye on debt service costs.

Delivering the Medium-Term Budget Policy statement (MTBPS) in Parliament today, the Minister of Finance increased the revenue collection estimate that SARS must collect to R1682bn from R1 598bn. SARS provides about 90 percent of all government revenue, which makes this increase in the revenue to be collected by SARS very significant.

“As SARS, we accept the challenge of the revised higher revenue estimate. While the revised revenue estimate is steep, we are committed to act according to what is permissible in law to meet this challenge.” SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said.

See the full media statement here.

26 October 2022 – Thank you for submitting your income tax return on time. Filing Season for non-provisional taxpayers is now closed. The deadline for Provisional taxpayers is 23 January 2023. Not sure if you are a provisional taxpayer?   See the provisional tax definition here.

26 October 2022 – The SARS Uitenhage branch will be permanently closed from 29 October.  Staff will continue to service taxpayers on an appointment basis at the Corkwood Square Mall, shop 57, 42 Union avenue Uitenhage.  Click here to make an appointment.

26 October 2022 – The Minister of Finance, Mr. Enoch Godongwana, delivers the 2022 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) in Parliament today. The Minister increased the revenue estimate in anticipation of better-than-expected revenue collections to R1 682 billion from R1 598 billion. See the Budget speech and the rest of the documents here.

25 October 2022 – The latest scam via email is purporting to be from SARS, masking as a SARS notice with a link to a ‘court order’ – please ignore and do not click on any links. To see an example of this scam, see our Scams and Phishing webpage.

25 October 2022 – Customs Weekly List of Unentered Goods

24 October 2022 – The November 2022 Mobile Tax Unit Schedules for Northern Cape and Free State are now available.

24 October 2022 – Taxpayer education schedules for October, November and December taking place at the SARS Pretoria CBD branch now available.

24 October 2022 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) invites you to a comprehensive Tariff Determination webinar that aims to educate you in order to increase your compliance in line with Customs and Excise procedures.

Customs and Excise Traders and Travellers are expected to understand the tariff determinations process to comply with the Customs and Excise Acts. The webinar will afford, SARS the opportunity to provide clarity on the process of tariff determination by equipping taxpayers and traders with the relevant information and insight required to make it easy to comply with their tax obligations.

As an important stakeholder, we invite you to join us in this webinar and to extend this invitation to other interested parties.

Webinar details:

Theme: Tariff Determination Process

Date: Thursday, 27 October 2022
Time:  17:00 – 19:00
Platforms: Zoom and YouTube

Register in advance for this webinar on the following link:

https://sars-gov-za.zoom.us/j/99874227891?pwd=dFN0dkROa1J2NlZ1dmxFaWdveHhHQT09

Webinar ID: 998 7422 7891
Passcode: 213514

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to log in to the webinar.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/TtXDAI9WMes

If you have questions about Tariff Determination, please email [email protected]

24 October 2022 – RFP08/2022:  SARS technical security modernisation tender for the procurement including maintenance of

Stream 1:  Modernised CCTV system and licence plate recognition system (including maintenance for a period of three years)

Stream 2:  Centralised access control system solution (including maintenance for a period of three years)

Stream 3:  Modernised alarm system solution (including maintenance for a period of three years)

24 October 2022 – Filing season for non-provisional taxpayers closes at midnight tonight, 24 October. Avoid penalties and interest. Don’t miss the deadline.

21 October 2022 – Customs Weekly List of Unentered Goods

20 October 2022 – Travellers are required by law to make certain declarations of goods and cash on entering or leaving South Africa. The declaration process is in line with practices around the world and in compliance with the provision of the Customs and Excise Act No. 91 of 1964 which makes it mandatory for any person entering and leaving the Republic to declare any goods in their possession.

During November 2022, SARS will launch a pilot implementation of an electronic online portal for travellers to make declarations on a voluntary basis, well ahead of their arrival or departure to/from South Africa. This pilot will initially be implemented at the King Shaka International Airport. The new system will allow travellers to pre-declare goods purchased, received, or otherwise acquired. For travellers who choose not to use the on-line portal on their mobile devices, SARS will make available a paper form as well self-service counters at our terminals. A number of our Customs Officers will also have hand-held devices to assist travelers, and facilitate passage. Travellers will be permitted to continue to use the travellers card if they so choose.

See the full media statement here.

20 October 2022 – SARS would like to invite you to attend a Webinar for employers, where the Employer Interim Declarations (EMP 501) Filing Season will be discussed.  As an important stakeholder, you are invited to join us at the Webinar. You may also extend this invitation to other interested parties.  For more information on the webinar click here.

The following topics will be covered:

• Submission channels
• General rules for import file structure
• Validation rules updates
• EMP501 reconciliation process

Webinar details:

Theme:  Employer Interim Reconciliation Declarations Filing Season
Date: Thursday, 20 October 2022
Time: 17:00 – 19:00
Platforms (Virtual): Zoom and YouTube

Click here to view the presentation.

19 October 2022 – SARS emailed a survey to a sample of taxpayers and traders to ask if they are satisfied with the clarity and certainty provided by SARS.

The survey is legit and called ‘Request for your participation in the Annual Clarity and Certainty Survey’.

This is how the ‘from’ email address and the first part of the email appear:

From: South African Revenue Service <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2022, 22:03
Subject: Request for your participation in the Annual Clarity and Certainty Survey

Dear Valued Taxpayer

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is conducting an annual survey to establish whether taxpayers and traders are satisfied with the clarity and certainty of the guidance provided by SARS in order for them to comply with the tax legislation in specific areas, for specific tax types and programs.

You have been identified to participate in the survey to assist us to meet the desired objectives of the survey.

Kindly note that your participation is voluntary. You have the right to decline or withdraw at any time and the survey is strictly confidential.

If in any doubt in future, go to the Current Surveys, SMSs and Emails webpage to see the current initiatives.

19 October 2022 – SARS is conducting roadshows in the regions to assist traders to onboard onto the electronic Registration, Licensing and Accreditation (RLA) eFiling system. Onboarding to the RLA system will lessen manual processing that would, at times, cause delays. The regional roadshows will provide traders the opportunity to have physical interactions with SARS’ Registration, Licensing and Accreditation officers, who will support traders to activate their eFiling profiles and navigate the RLA eFiling system by submitting an application themselves.

Traders in KwaZulu-Natal are now invited to visit the SARS Durban offices on any day from  17 – 28 October 2022. Slots are daily 9:00 – 10:00, 11:00 – 12:00 and 13:00 – 14:00.

Venue:

• PC Room 1
• 201 Dr Pixley Kaseme Street
• Trescon Building – 2nd Floor
• Durban
• -29.85768, 31.02905

No parking facilities at Trescon Building. Delegates may utilise the pay parkade, Liberty Building which is opposite the SARS Building.

18 October 2022 – High Court judgments

• Structured Mezzanine Investments (Pty) Ltd & another v CSARS (1824/2021) [2022] ZAECBHC (13 October 2022)
• Eskom Pension and Provident Fund v Brian Molefe and others (93895/2019) [2022] ZAGPPHC (12 October 2022)

Summaries are available on the high court judgments page

18 October 2022 – The latest 2019 to 2022 awarded tenders document is now available.

18 October 2022 – Income Tax Act, 1962

• Tax Guide for Share Owners (Issue 8)

17 October 2022 – Value-Added Tax Act, 1991, and Income Tax Act, 1962 (PAYE)

• Frequently Asked Questions on BGRs 40 and 41: Non-executive Directors (VAT and PAYE) (Issue 2)