In a week that saw it come under immense pressure, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has announced the extension of the filing season deadline for online filers.
In statement, SARS says in light of COVID-19 pandemic challenges, it has decided to extend the filing season deadline for provisional taxpayers, which is currently set for 29 January (today), to 15 February.
SARS once again encouraged taxpayers to use eFiling or the SARS MobiApp, in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect both the taxpayers and SARS staff.
SARS commissioner Edward Kieswetter explains: “The decision to extend the filing season was taken with due consideration of the traumatic effects being experienced by taxpayers who have lost loved ones, as well as businesses who have lost staff, during the devastating second wave of COVID-19.”
Kieswetter has called on those taxpayers that received auto-assessment notices last year, but have not yet accepted the auto-assessments, or edited and filed a return in response to the notice, to make use of this opportunity to do so.
The commissioner says all taxpayers must comply with their legal obligations by 15 February 2021, as it is vital that they remain compliant. Failure to comply with their legal obligations will result in administrative penalties being levied.
He adds that SARS has a legislative mandate to collect revenue due and to ensure compliance across all segments of taxpayers, as well as traders in the customs arena.
“While SARS believes most taxpayers and traders comply voluntarily and want to do the right thing, we also have measures we can use to enforce compliance. However, such enforcement always remains a last resort.”
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