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A third of tax returns filed via eFiling

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 20 Oct 2016
SARS says 97.5% of returns were assessed within 24 hours, while 91.7% were assessed within three seconds.
SARS says 97.5% of returns were assessed within 24 hours, while 91.7% were assessed within three seconds.

With six weeks to go to before the end of the 2016 tax season, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) says it has received almost 4.17 million tax returns, with over 1.4 million submitted via eFiling.

This means around a third of tax returns were submitted via eFiling, while another third (over 1.5 million) of returns were submitted electronically at a SARS branch by taxpayers who prefer face-to-face interaction with trained branch consultants.

SARS says that of the over four million tax returns submitted, 1.2 million were for previous years of assessment.

The revenue service encourages taxpayers to use eFiling. Techno-savvy taxpayers can also use the SARS eFiling mobisite and SARS eFiling app. The eFiling mobisite has been made more user-friendly and accommodating for blind and partially-sighted taxpayers.

SARS says 97.5% of returns have been assessed within 24 hours during this tax season, while around 91.7% were assessed within just three seconds.

The revenue service says a legitimate refund gets paid as soon as the information submitted on the tax return has been verified. Over 94% of refunds have been paid within 72 hours.

"However, if a return was flagged and a refund is due, it will only be paid once all outstanding requirements have been met by the taxpayer," SARS says in a statement.

Tax season 2016 ? which began on 1 July ? will end for non-provisional taxpayers on 25 November.

Tax fraud

SARS has also warned taxpayers to be on the lookout for fraud and phishing scams where criminals try to gain access to their banking details by sending e-mails which pretend to be from SARS.

"SARS will never ask for personal, tax banking or eFiling details (passwords, login information, etc) via phone or e-mail. Taxpayers will also never be asked to log into the eFiling Web site from a link in an e-mail."

The revenue service has also tightened its controls on the tax return process in light of the challenges encountered with possible tax fraud. This is also to prevent incorrect refund pay-outs. SARS assured the public that not all taxpayers are affected by these additional tighter controls. In fact, these controls are in place to protect the taxpayer and to ensure everyone pays their fair share of taxes due to the fiscus.

"Taxpayers are urged to take ownership of their tax affairs even if they are making use of a registered tax practitioner or intermediary. This includes protecting their personal details and the credentials used on electronic devices. Taxpayers are also urged to always authenticate communication from SARS with the contact centre or at their nearest branch."

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