Month: September 2023

1 September 2023 – SARS will be hosting a webinar on 7 September 2023 on the Diesel Refund for Food Manufacturers.

In the 2023 Budget Speech, the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, announced a special tax relief measure to ease the impact of the electricity crisis on food manufacturers, effective 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2025.

Pursuant to our strategic objectives to provide you, as taxpayers and traders, with clarity and certainty and to make it easy for you to comply with your tax obligations, we are hereby inviting you to the webinar. The aim of the webinar will be to educate the food manufacturing industry on the legislative provisions governing this new diesel refund and what channels to follow when registering and how the refund claiming process will work.

As an important stakeholder, SARS hopes you will take advantage of the opportunity to keep abreast of important developments in this area. You may also extend the invitation to other interested parties.

Webinar details:

• Theme: Diesel Refund for Foodstuff Manufacturers
• Date: Thursday, 7 September 2023
• Time:  17:00 – 19:00
• Platforms: Virtual via Zoom and YouTube

Register in advance for this webinar on the following link:  https://sars-gov-za.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xI60QKKVSSC02Ep11M89Xg

• Meeting ID:  991 5774 1992
• Passcode:  795176

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to log into the webinar and have your questions answered during the session. The webinar will be recorded and published on the SARS TV YouTube channel.

YouTube:   https://youtube.com/live/fycXtBKB7zc?feature=share

If you have questions about this new refund scheme, please send an email to Dieselfoodstuffs@sars.gov.za

Source: SARS Tariffs
Invitation to a webinar on the Diesel Refund for Foodstuff Manufacturers

1 September 2023 –The Advance Import Payment (AIP) Notification as part of the Advance Payment Notification (APN) project is one of SARS’ Customs Modernisation Programmes which involves a collaboration between SARS, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and authorised dealers in foreign exchange and aimed at combatting illicit financial flows and customs valuation fraud associated with the misuse of advance foreign exchange payments in respect of goods that are to be imported.

Advance payment notifications make it easy for taxpayers and traders to comply with their tax obligations whilst assisting SARS to detect and make non-compliance hard and costly for those traders and taxpayers who do not comply. The APN process ensures that traders notify SARS of their intention to apply to an authorised dealer for an advance foreign exchange payment for imported goods. This further prevents underpayment of customs duties and taxes, valuation fraud and illicit financial flows related to the importation or non-importation of goods following advance foreign exchange payments.

With effect from the 3^rd of December 2021, in terms of the published Rules under sections 59A and 120 of the Customs and Excise Act 91 of 1964 for Advance foreign exchange payments, importers have an obligation to notify SARS via eFiling of their intention to apply to an authorised dealer for an advance foreign exchange payment in respect of goods to be imported. See the Advance Import Payments webpage here for more detail.

Source: SARS Tariffs
What is the Advance Import Payment Notification?

1 September 2023 – Employer’s Interim Reconciliation is part of the Filing Season. This year, the Employer Interim Reconciliation for Employers filing season starts on 15 September 2023 until 31 October 2023. During this period, all employers in both private and public enterprises must reconcile their Monthly Employer Declarations (EMP201). These reconciliations are based on the Monthly Employer Declarations (EMP201) submitted with the tax values of the interim IRP5/IT3(a)s certificates generated, accurate payroll information and employees’ tax (PAYE) payments made during the period 1 March 2023 – 31 August 2023. Thereafter, employers can submit an Employer’s Reconciliation Declaration (EMP501) to SARS. See more detail here in a letter to Employers.

Source: SARS Tariffs
Employer’s Interim Reconciliation starts on 15 September 2023

1 September 2023 – Achieving our Vision 2024 of a smart, modern SARS with unquestionable integrity that is trusted and admired is of paramount importance. Pivotal to the delivery of our vision are our digital platforms & technology infrastructure. In order to provide clarity & certainty, make it easy for taxpayers & traders to comply with their obligations and building public trust and confidence, our technology assets have to demonstrate the highest levels of availability, robustness and security.

Pursuant to our Vision and Strategic Objectives, which include modernising our systems to provide Digital and Streamlined online services, we are hard at work ensuring that our digital platforms & technology infrastructure are available, robust & secure, by performing regular upgrades, enhancements, and maintenance.

In light of the above, SARS Digital platform upgrades are scheduled for Saturday 2 September 2023 from 22:00 to Sunday 3 September 2023 at 04:00.

During this time, you may experience intermittent service interruption on our eFiling Platform.

Customs Digital Platform will not be available during this time.

Responses (CUSRES messages) to transactions submitted during this time will be delayed, however arrival and exit management functions are available at land border posts for all released declarations and manifests.

Stakeholders are therefore urged to submit priority Goods Declarations (bills of entry) and Road Manifest by Saturday, 2 September 2023 @ 21:00.

Source: SARS Tariffs
eFiling platform upgrade on 2 September 2023