Research conducted by MyTax, the online tax filing service provider, and Deloitte & Touche shows SA businesses are generally positive about the prospects of conducting their tax affairs with the SA Revenue Service (Sars) over the Internet.
The research, which polled a sample of 10% of Deloitte & Touche`s small, medium and large client base, surveyed companies` awareness about Sars`s electronic filing initiative, their reactions to electronic filing, their concerns about submitting returns and payments online, their expectations of service providers and their relationships with Sars and its service providers.
Earlier this year, Sars announced five service providers for its electronic filing initiative, the first stage of which went live last month. Businesses can now submit Vat and Paye returns and payments online via these service providers.
Sixty-five percent of respondents said they preferred their future relationship with Sars to be conducted electronically, while 35% perceived the electronic filing initiative to be a positive step.
Concerns were raised however, with 50% of respondents raising worries about security. Forty-three percent said they felt quite or very insecure about transferring large sums over the Internet, 8% felt very secure and 49% quite secure.
Many said they wanted certain guarantees of security on the system, with 33% saying they expected the use of stringent controls, firewalls, encryption, passwords and the like; 28% required immediate confirmation of receipt; and 14% called for a guarantee from Sars that their online payments extinguish debt subject to final assessment.
Fifty-eight percent of repondents said they preferred a service provider to file returns using real-time transfer facilities, but 89% said they would take advantage of the extended deadlines provided for e lectronic filing of Paye and Vat payments.
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