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The Tax Service of South Africa (SARS) has issued a warning to taxpayers to beware of people posing as “tax professionals” or “tax experts” who promise they can get a SARS refund.
The tax collector said companies and other organizations should also beware of third parties, such as unknown payroll companies that offer to help them with their PAYE filings.
“SARS is being inundated with desperate calls from honest taxpayers who are victims of these criminals and scammers pocketing reimbursements for themselves and their accomplices, as they often operate as unions.
“In some cases, these fraudulent submissions are the cause of the delays experienced by law-abiding taxpayers when SARS has no choice but to verify information submitted by scammers to SARS.”
SARS said that taxpayers who wish to engage in such fraudulent activity with the expectation of an illegal refund will be prosecuted along with the scammers.
“SARS urges honest citizens who suspect such criminal activity to provide information to SARS. They can communicate with SARS anonymously using the number 0800 00 2870 or anonymously completing an online form available on the SARS website www.sars.gov.za ”.
Provisional Taxpayers Using eFiling have until January 29, 2021 to file their returns.
“Taxpayers who have received a SARS self-assessment, which means that their returns have been automatically filed and assessed, are reminded to accept the assessment or edit their return in eFiling.
Tax season for individual taxpayers who file their return in a closed branch on Thursday, October 22, 2020.
The revenue service said it will “deal decisively” with non-compliance, such as no-show or late filing of returns. However, SARS said that not all taxpayers are required to file a return.
Taxpayers who meet all of the following criteria do not need to file a return:
- Your total earned income for the year before taxes is not more than R500,000;
- They only receive earned income from one employer for the entire tax year;
- They have no other form of income, such as car allowance, business income and rental income, taxable interest, or income from another job;
- They have no additional tax deductions allowed to claim, such as medical expenses, retirement annuity contributions, and travel expenses.
Taxpayers who have not yet filed their return can download the SARS MobiApp from Playstore or Appstore and easily perform the following functions, among others:
- Register as a taxpayer and for electronic filing of SARS
- Submit a return
- Use the phone’s camera to upload supporting documents
- Recover your username or reset your password
- View your Assessment Notice (ITA34)
- Request a callback to enlist the assistance of a SARS agent.
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