Month: February 2024

26 February 2024 — SARS has enhanced the Tax Directives system in line with legislative and system requirements.

The following changes to the Tax Directives process will affect external stakeholders:

• Taxation of local and foreign income will now cater for South African citizens who earned income both locally and abroad in one Year of Assessment, but who do not qualify for 10(i)(o)(ii).

• Free portability between funds, such as with transfers to unclaimed benefit funds:

• • The provisions of the Income Tax Act confirm that a deduction equal to the value of the amount transferred will be allowed as a deduction for any transfer from a pension fund and pension preservation fund (including an unclaimed-benefit pension preservation fund).
  • This means that the transfer will be tax neutral.
  • The update to the directives system will allow the “Transfer – Unclaimed Benefits” (code 48) to account for transfers between pension, preservation, and provident funds, and unclaimed-benefit funds of each type.

• Free portability between funds: the following fund types will be added to the eFiling RT01 screen drop-down menu:

• • Unclaimed Pension Preservation Fund.
  • Unclaimed Provident Preservation Fund.

Source: SARS Tariffs
Tax Directive system enhancements implemented (February 2024)

22 February 2024 – Income Tax Act, 1962

• Binding Class Ruling 088 – En commandite partners investing in solar assets

Source: SARS Tariffs
Legal Counsel – Interpretation and Rulings – Published Binding Rulings – Binding Class Rulings (BCRs) 81–100

22 February 2024 – 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 and technology infrastructure. To provide clarity and certainty, make it easy for taxpayers and 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 and technology infrastructure are available, robust and secure, by performing regular upgrades, enhancements and maintenance.

Considering the above, SARS Digital platform upgrades are scheduled for Friday, 23 February 2024 from 18h00 to 21h00.

During this time, you may experience intermittent service interruption on our Customs Digital Platform. Traders are requested not to resubmit declaration which are awaiting responses.

Source: SARS Tariffs
eFiling platform upgrade on 23 February 2024

21 February 2024 – The Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service (SARS), Mr Edward Kieswetter, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting Finance Minister Mr Enoch Godongwana’s strategy for fiscal consolidation over the medium term. “A well-functioning tax administration within a growing economy is the most sustainable path towards improving the country’s fiscal integrity,” said the Commissioner.

See the full media release here.

Source: SARS Tariffs
Media release – SARS is committed to supporting fiscal consolidation though improved tax administration

21 February 2024 – Income Tax Act, 1962: The income tax notices, scheduled for publication in the Government Gazette, relate to the –

• determination of the daily amount in respect of meals and incidental costs for purposes of section 8(1)(c)(ii) (overnight allowance); and
• determination of the daily amount in respect of meals and incidental costs for purposes of section 8(1)(a)(ii) (daily allowance).

Publication details will follow in due course

Source: SARS Tariffs
Legal Counsel – Secondary Legislation – Income Tax Notices 2024

16 February 2024 – The internal and external policies for inbound and outbound duty and tax-free shops have been updated to align with Section 38 (1)(a) of the Customs and Excise Act.  The section specifies that goods entered or cleared may be placed under a Customs warehouse regime, for purposes of being sold in a facility known as a duty and tax-free shop.

• SC-CW-01-07 – Inbound and Outbound Duty and Tax-Free Shops – External Policy

 

Source: SARS Tariffs
Customs: Inbound and outbound duty and tax-free shops

16 February 2024 – The SARS Complaints Management Office (CMO) contact number has changed to a toll-free number. The new CMO number is 0800 12 12 16 and not 0860 12 12 16 anymore. For more information on the complaints process, see the Lodge a complaint webpage.

Source: SARS Tariffs
New SARS Complaints number

14 February 2024 – Customs and Excise Act, 1964

South Africa is streamlining the process of technical tariff amendments with other Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Member States for the insertion of 8-digit tariff subheadings for statistical purposes in the Common External Tariff. The date for submitting applications has changed from 31 August to 31 March each year.

The tariff amendments page has been updated accordingly.

Source: SARS Tariffs
Legal Counsel – Secondary Legislation – Tariff Amendments

14 February 2024 – 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 and technology infrastructure. To provide clarity and certainty, make it easy for taxpayers and 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 and technology infrastructure are available, robust and secure, by performing regular upgrades, enhancements and maintenance.

Considering the above, SARS Digital platform upgrades are scheduled for Friday, 16 February 2024 from 18h00 to 21h00 and on Saturday, 17 February 2024 from 14h00 to 16h00.

During this time, you may experience intermittent service interruption on our eFiling and Customs Digital Platforms. Traders are requested not to resubmit declaration which are awaiting responses.

Source: SARS Tariffs
eFiling platform upgrade on 16 & 17 February 2024

9 February 2024 – 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 and technology infrastructure. To provide clarity and certainty, make it easy for taxpayers and 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 and technology infrastructure are available, robust and secure, by performing regular upgrades, enhancements and maintenance.

Considering the above, SARS Digital platform upgrades are scheduled for today, 9 February 2024 from 18h00 to 20h30.

During this time, you may experience intermittent service interruption on our eFiling and Customs Digital Platform. Traders are requested not to resubmit declaration which are awaiting responses.

Source: SARS Tariffs
eFiling platform upgrade on 9 February 2024