Global Courant 2023-05-05 13:35:21
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is going to upgrade its eFiling platform.
According to SARS, the system upgrade will take place on Saturday (May 6, 2023) from 5:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
During this time, the tax collector said the eFiling system would be available intermittently.
SARS has embarked on Vision 2024, a strategy to modernize the revenue service, and this forthcoming upgrade is part of its efforts.
The IRS has said modernizing its systems will make it easier for taxpayers to become compliant and more difficult for those who want to game the system.
SARS said the upgrade is critical to achieving its vision regarding its digital platforms and technology infrastructure.
“To provide clarity and certainty, make it easy for taxpayers and traders to meet their obligations and build public trust, our technology assets must demonstrate the highest levels of availability, robustness and security,” SARS said. .
The new system will provide a more ‘digital and streamlined online service’.
eFiling allows taxpayers and businesses to file returns, make payments, and other interactions with SARS through an online system free of charge.
The system allows for the submission of various taxes, duties, levies and contributions.
To use the system, taxpayers must register an account with the IRS.
Taxpayers can access the online services both from a computer and from a mobile phone via the SARS MobiApp
Thanks to eFiling, consumers do not have to go to a physical SARS branch and often end up skipping long and time-consuming queues.
SARS said that through the eFiling system, taxpayers:
Inquire about outstanding debts, make a payment and cancel payments Inquire about outstanding returns Tax compliance status Notification of registration (IT150) VAT, CIT, PAYE and trust Notification of registration File your income tax return Update personal information (including bank details) Request a statement from the Income Tax Account Register Submission of supporting documents for an audit case Submit a dispute Tax product registration (incl. VAT number registration) Tax guideline Management Submit a complaint Refund status Audit status Request username and reset password
SARS’ concerted efforts to address non-compliance and foreign assets, coupled with increasing investigative powers and enabling a smoother online tax filing process, have yielded positive results.
Recent data from SARS regarding total tax revenue collected over the previous financial period showed that the authority had increased its tax collection to R1 563 billion – growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5%.
Read: Two new payment systems are launched in South Africa
