Month: October 2023

26 October 2023 – Please note that the submissions platforms for both Secure File Gateway and Connect:Direct will be temporarily offline for planned maintenance between 16:00 and 19:00 on Friday 27 October 2023.

Please do not submit any files in the Production or Test environments during this time, as they will not be received or processed. Files already in the system will be paused and will continue processing upon conclusion of the maintenance.

Source: SARS Tariffs
Maintenance on the SARS Third Party Data Submissions Platforms

26 October 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. To provide clarity & certainty, make it easy for taxpayers & traders to comply with their obligations and building public trust and confidence, our technology assets must demonstrate the highest levels of availability, robustness, and security.

In accordance with 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.

Considering the above, SARS Digital platform upgrades are scheduled for Friday, 27 October 2023 from 18:00 to 21:00.

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.

Stakeholders are therefore urged to submit priority Goods Declarations (bills of entry) and Road Manifest by Friday, 27 October 2023 @ 17:00.

Source: SARS Tariffs
eFiling platform upgrade on 27 October 2023

25 October 2023 – If you have received a message regarding outstanding returns and the intended prosecution thereof, please do not respond or react, a follow-up correspondence will be sent out in this respect. In the meantime please ensure that your tax affairs remain in order. Our apologies for the inconvenience.

Source: SARS Tariffs
Notice: SMSs from SARS regarding outstanding returns

25 October 2023 – Value-Added Tax Act, 1991

• Binding General Ruling 62 – Value-added tax implications of securities lending arrangements

Source: SARS Tariffs
Legal Counsel Archive – Binding General Rulings Archive

24 October 2024 – Beware of the latest scam appearing to be an email from SARS with the subject title ‘SARS tax review’. Inside the email is a QR code (Quick Response code), don’t scan it or point your mobile device camera at it. See the tax review scam example here.

For the latest scams, keep an eye on the Scams & Phishing webpage.

Source: SARS Tariffs
Alert: Latest scam called Tax Review

23 October 2023 – Today is the last day to submit your Personal Income Tax return.  The 23 October 2023 deadline is for non-provisional taxpayers and the deadline of 24 January 2024 is if you are a provisional taxpayer.

Who is a Provisional taxpayer? Any person who receives income (or to whom income accrues) other than remuneration, is a provisional taxpayer.  Most salary earners are therefore not-provisional taxpayers, if they have no other sources of income. It is important to note that receiving exempt amount from a tax free savings account does not make you a provisional taxpayer.

For more information, see the Tax Season webpage.

Source: SARS Tariffs
Today is the last day to submit your income tax return!

20 October 2023 – The Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has welcomed the judgment handed down this week by the KwaZulu-Natal Local Division, dealing with the insolvent estate of Jubilee Plant Hire SA CC (“Jubilee”).

The court decided to refuse to lift the veil of secrecy on the order granted in November 2021 thereby accepting SARS’ application that authorised the inquiry and interdicting the sole member and witnesses in the insolvency enquiry from accessing the information at their disposal. The court further gave a cost order against the owners of Jubilee.

See the full media statement here.

Source: SARS Tariffs
Media release – SARS welcomes veil of secrecy judgment

20 October 2023 – A reminder that the Personal Income Tax return deadline is Monday 23 October 2023. You still have today, over the weekend and on Monday to submit.

The 23 October 2023 deadline is for non-provisional taxpayers and the deadline of 24 January 2024 is if you are a provisional taxpayer.

Who is a Provisional taxpayer? Any person who receives income (or to whom income accrues) other than remuneration, is a provisional taxpayer.  Most salary earners are therefore not-provisional taxpayers, if they have no other sources of income. It is important to note that receiving exempt amount from a tax free savings account does not make you a provisional taxpayer.

For more information, see the Tax Season webpage.

Source: SARS Tariffs
Have you submitted your tax return yet?

17 October 2023 – The Rissik Street branch of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) in Johannesburg that caught fire on 20 September will reopen tomorrow, Wednesday 18 October 2023.

The office was cleared for reopening by both the Departments of Public Works and of Labour after a thorough-going inspection to ensure that it was safe to be used for its primary purpose.

SARS wishes to apologise for any inconvenience that was experienced by taxpayers and traders because of closure of the office.

For more information contact SarsMedia@sars.gov.za

Source: SARS Tariffs
Media release – Reopening of SARS branch at Rissik street Johannesburg