PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of the world`s largest service providers, has kick-started its e-commerce initiative for Tax and Legal Services (TLS) in South Africa.
Recently-contracted associations with leading bank group, Absa, and information technology e-business company, Hicor, find PwC poised to take part in the South African Revenue Services (SARS) announcement, last week to provide e-filing facilities, once implemented by SARS.
Koos van Wyk, managing director of TLS, defines the basic principles of successful e-business as:
No capital investment for the user;
Easy and secure Internet access; and
Reasonable transactional costs.
He emphasises that PwC has adopted this approach and has embraced the latest available technology to develop a new vision for TLS.
The SARS initiative aims at transforming it into an e-commerce-enabled business. It will give taxpayers the luxury of receiving, completing, submitting and paying tax returns through trusted and secure computerised facilities.
Van Wyk points out that in a world increasingly driven by the Internet, businesses and individuals who are not prepared to rise to the challenge of the electronic marketplace, risk being left behind. To remain ahead in the ever-changing business environment, successful entities are looking to their professional service providers for electronic solutions to their business requirements.
"The PwC vision remains focused on client needs and in the next weeks an Internet tax site will be launched to make some of our services available in an interactive format on a 24-by-7-by-365 basis," says Van Wyk.
"In a short space of time, many of the existing compliance services will be become available in an online format and even online consulting will become a reality in the not too distant future."
Charles de Wet, a PwC tax partner responsible for these initiatives, notes that his firm has been working with Hicor and ABSA to develop this functionality.
"Our role is that of a tax service provider who, in addition to providing the traditional compliance services electronically, can provide value-added services by assisting taxpayers with all aspects of their tax affairs."
By accessing the PwC Internet site, clients will initially be able to submit their VAT, PAYE, Skills Development Levy (SDL) and provisional tax returns and also have access to a wealth of tax related information and commentary as well as access to the PwC global tax network.
In a recent survey conducted by PwC, consumers expressed their concerns about privacy of information on the Internet. Ernst Maritz, a PwC e-business and security partner also involved with the project says his firm has incorporated the latest technology available in this application to build the necessary trust and address consumers fears.
Those requiring local or international tax information will be able to access PwC`s tax site.
"Our vision," says De Wet "is to develop a supermarket of tax services in a portal that will eventually dominate in the tax market place. This portal will become the place where we interact with our clients in the electronic world."
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PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwcglobal.com) is the world`s leading professional services organisation. Drawing on the knowledge and skills of more than 150,000 people in 150 countries, we help our clients solve complex business problems and measurably enhance their ability to build value, manage risk and improve performance. PricewaterhouseCoopers refers to the member firms of the worldwide PricewaterhouseCoopers organisation The name PricewaterhouseCoopers is one word, with upper case P, uppercase C, and all other letters in lower case.