News

20 January 2022 – The latest SMME Connect newsletter issue one deals with a few topics including a smarter SARS making compliance easier, beginning with the essentials and SARS’s continued commitment to increase clarity and certainty.

Source: SARS Tariffs
Latest SMME Connect newsletter now available

20 January 2022 – National Legislation: The following Amendment Acts were promulgated on 19 April 2022:

• Act No 19 of 2021 – Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Act, 2021
  (GG 45786 – 19/01/2022) [was B21-2021, tabled on 11/11/2021; passed (unchanged) by NCOP on 15/12/2021]
• Act No 20 of 2021 – Taxation Laws Amendment Act, 2021
  (GG 45787 – 19/01/2022) [was B22-2021, tabled on 11/11/2021; amended B22B-2021 passed by NCOP on 15/12/2021]
• Act No 21 of 2021 – Tax Administration Laws Amendment Act, 2021
  (GG 45788 – 19/01/2022) [was B23-2021, tabled on 11/11/2021; passed (unchanged) by NCOP on 15/12/2021]

Source: SARS Tariffs
Legal Counsel – Primary Legislation – Amendment Acts

19 January 2022 – Amendment made to Tariff heading 3006.93, now needs to be detained for Port Health. See the Prohibited and Restricted Imports and Exports list.

Source: SARS Tariffs
Customs – Updated Prohibited and Restricted Goods List

19 January 2022 – The SARS Benoni branch at 65 Howard street, Benoni will be closing on 21 January 2022 and reopening at Lakeside Mall, Shop E006 (Dischem entrance), Benoni on 24 January 2022.

All current services will be offered at the new location via appointment.

Source: SARS Tariffs
Benoni branch relocation

19 January 2022 – Where a pensioner has one source of income during a tax year, our employees’ tax (PAYE) deduction system ensures the correct PAYE deductions from their pension or annuity.

However, where a pensioner is in receipt of more than one source of income, the different sources of income are combined at the end of the tax year to determine the correct amount of tax due.  By adding all the sources of income, they are placed in a higher tax bracket, which creates the tax due to SARS at year-end.  This is not a new principle and it applies to everyone, not only pensioners.

Although pensioners can request their retirement fund administrator to deduct a higher amount of PAYE so that any tax due at year-end is adequately covered, not many pensioners are making use of this option, which then leaves them with an unexpected tax debt at year-end.

To assist pensioners with more than one source of income, recently introduced legislation makes provision for SARS to determine a more accurate PAYE deduction amount. We do this by using the latest data available to SARS.  Your retirement fund administrator will then deduct a more accurate amount of PAYE from your pensions or annuities.

It is our intention to introduce this service with effect from 1 March 2022.

In practice, this will mean the following:

1. You do not have to do anything, because SARS will provide your retirement fund administrator with the PAYE deduction percentage;
2. For pensions or annuities payable during March 2022 and for the periods thereafter, your retirement fund administrators will use this rate to deduct PAYE from your pension or annuity;
3. The rate provided by SARS will be valid for the whole tax year, unless circumstances that influence your year-end tax liability change. In such a case, your retirement fund administrator may revert to applying the normal PAYE deduction rate, with effect from the month in which he/she becomes aware of the change in circumstances;
4. The PAYE deducted from your pension may be slightly higher, but in return, you are unlikely to be faced with an unexpected tax bill at the end of the tax year;
5. You may, at any time, request your retirement fund administrator or continue with an arrangement to deduct PAYE at a rate higher than the rate provided by SARS;
6. You may also request your retirement fund administrator to use the normal PAYE deduction rate, and not the one provided by SARS. This may put you back into a position where you can expect a high tax bill at year-end.

Your retirement fund administrator is already aware of all the above.

Source: SARS Tariffs
Tax Deductions (PAYE) on your Pension or Annuity

18 January 2022 – Income Tax Act, 1962 – Tables of Interest Rates

• Table 1 – Interest rates on outstanding taxes and interest rates payable on certain refunds of tax
• Table 2 – Interest rates payable on credit amounts

Source: SARS Tariffs
Legal Counsel – Legal Counsel Publications – Tables of Interest Rates

14 January 2022 – We are on an exciting journey to build “a smart modern SARS with unquestionable integrity, trusted and admired by all”. Our mandate is to ensure optimal compliance with tax and Customs legislation. We do this through fostering a culture of Voluntary Compliance and by making it easy for taxpayers and traders to comply with their legal obligations. Click here for more information and to apply. 

 

Source: SARS Tariffs
SARS is recruiting

11 January 2022 – Effective 1 January 2021, South African banks no longer accept cheques.  All references to cheques in the Customs policy, Standard Operating Procedure and the Completion of the DA 70 annex have been removed. The Manual for the Completion of the DA 70 (SC-CF-32) is now published as SC-CF-25-A01. For more information see the Customs Provisional Payments policy.

Source: SARS Tariffs
Update to the Customs Provisional Payments policy

6 January 2022 – The SARS Nigel branch is closed this afternoon and will reopen tomorrow morning. All virtual appointments will continue as agreed. Our apologies for the inconvenience.

Source: SARS Tariffs
SARS Nigel branch closure

6 January 2022 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is saddened to note the passing yesterday evening of its first Commissioner, Mr Trevor van Heerden. He was a skilled and dedicated civil servant who committed more than forty years of his life to SARS and one of its predecessors, Inland Revenue.

Mr Van Heerden played an instrumental role in the establishment of SARS as we know it today. He was also deeply involved in the development of the taxation of fringe benefits and the Value-Added Tax Act, 1991.

Commissioner Edward Kieswetter, on behalf of SARS, expresses his deepest condolences to the Van Heerden family. He wishes the family strength during this difficult time.

For more information, contact SarsMedia@sars.gov.za

Source: SARS Tariffs
Media Release: The passing of Mr Trevor van Heerden, first Commissioner of SARS