By Lee-Yandra Paulsen

In an effort to bring clarity and certainty to taxpayers and traders, Aloysious Eesterhuizen, a team member from Tax Base Broadening and Education, on Tuesday morning shared important information on VOC Breakfast. The updates are meant to guide taxpayers through the ongoing tax filing season and shed light on the process.

“The tax filing season officially commenced on July 7, 2023. There are two distinct categories of taxpayers: non-provisional taxpayers and provisional taxpayers. For non-provisional taxpayers, the tax season began on July 7, and they have until October 23, 2023, to submit their tax returns. On the other hand, provisional taxpayers also started their tax season on July 7, but they have until January 24, 2024, to submit their returns,” said Eesterhuizen.

One notable development mentioned by Eesterhuizen is the introduction of an auto-assessment feature. Between July 1 and July 7, taxpayers received notifications via SMS or email informing them that they had been selected for an auto assessment. To proceed, these taxpayers were advised to log into the e-filing system or the SARS mobi app to review the outcome of their assessment. If they agreed with the assessment, no further action was required.

“Any refund owed to taxpayers would be deposited into their bank account within 72 hours by SARS. However, if taxpayers owe money to SARS, the payment should be made prior to the due date indicated on the notice of assessment. Such payments could be conveniently executed through e-filing or the SARS mobi app,” he said.

Eesterhuizen further stated that it is important to note that if taxpayers did not receive an auto-assessment notification, they are expected to proceed with submitting their tax returns to SARS in the usual manner.

For any queries or concerns regarding SARS tax returns, individuals can contact Tax Base Broadening and Education directly at 0800 007 277. Additionally, taxpayers can visit the official SARS website at www.sars.gov.za for further information.

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