The SA Revenue Service (SARS) has launched www.sarsefiling.gov.za, a free service enabling corporates and individuals to process their tax returns online.
Finance minister Trevor Manuel says the revenue service has bought the intellectual property owned by Mytax, Taxbreak and Infotax, and combined it into a wholly-owned subsidiary, Interfile, to run the Web site and process all applications.
Manuel says the introduction of the Web site provides the facility for a single view of the customer across all core tax systems for companies and individuals. The initial phases of the implementation are aimed at delivering key functionality.
"The Web site provides identification, legal matching and display of all taxpayers' status and information across linked accounts," he says.
The service allows for all VAT returns and payments, PAYE, SDL and UIF return and payments, provisional returns and payments, as well as the ability to apply for bulk tax directive services and bulk extensions, Manuel says.
"Using the Web site, registered users don't have to fill out forms. They receive electronic notifications and reminders when returns or payments are due and have access to a full history of all payments and forms submitted," he says.
Manuel says that next year, SARS expects to provide the ability to make any payment for any tax or duty, allow for the electronic submission of IRP5 returns and reconciliations, the ability to submit and pay secondary tax on companies, the means to send electronic SARS assessments and provide downloadable electronic forms and provide for the submission of trust and company returns through the site.
"In addition, we anticipate over the next 24 to 30 months to add the submission of personal income tax returns and the ability to register for tax online," he says.
Interfile MD Sheldon Quarmby says that now that SARS has taken ownership of the service and has provided the service for free, there has been an increase in the number of people registering for the service.
"Previously around 3 000 people were registered for the service. Now that it is free and tax payers deal directly with SARS, 17 000 people have registered in the last two weeks. Registrations have jumped from 100 people a week to between 2 100 and 3 500 a week."
Quarmby says while the site has been running for six weeks, they expect even more people to register now that it has been launched publicly.
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