Minister launches 2013 tax season in Edenvale

Finance minister, Mr Parvin Gordhan officially launched the 2013 tax season from the Edenvale branch of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) on Monday last week.

The most significant policy change to be introduced this year is an increase in annual income threshold from R120 000 to R250 000 for the filing of income tax returns.

As from this year, any taxpayer whose gross income for the year is below R250 000 needs not file a tax return if they meet the following criteria:

• They only earn one salary from one employer.
• They do not have any other form of income.
• They need not claim deductions such as medical expenses, retirement annuities or travel expenses.

By the start of business on Monday morning, more than 11 238 income tax returns had already been submitted though internet based eFiling.

Based on last years’ experience SARS expected a high number of taxpayers to queue at its offices across the country from early in the morning to submit their tax returns.

During the 2012 tax season 5.66 million returns were submitted.

This reflected a 16.4 percent increase from 2011.

99.86 percent of returns were submitted electronically and 93 percent of those were assessed within three seconds.

Refunds of R14.55 billion were paid to taxpayers.

The annual tax season represents one of the biggest, direct engagements between a public institution of the South African government and a growing body of millions of economically active citizens.

A key focus for 2013 is to encourage all taxpayers to use available electronic channels to file their tax returns and to avoid queues in SARS branch offices.

The innovative Help-You-eFile service that was launched last year will this year be expanded to include assistance for the submission of IRP6 forms which is the tax return for provisional taxpayers.

The eFiling MobiApp for smart phones has been expanded to allow for the submission of IRP6 returns submissions, submissions by tax practitioners and the more complex ITR12 tax returns.

eFiling makes it possible for a taxpayer to complete and submit a tax return via the internet, from their home or office, 24 hours a day, without having to visit a SARS office or wait in a queue.

If the taxpayer is not able or confident to complete and submit the tax return themselves on eFiling, it can be done electronically by a SARS consultant at a SARS office in the presence of the taxpayer.

The deadline for taxpayers, who submit their tax returns manually by post or by dropping them off in a SARS drop box, is September 27.

The deadline for all non-provisional taxpayers is November 22.

Non-provisional taxpayers are the majority of employed individuals who submit a tax return and who earn an income from one or more employer.

The deadline for provisional taxpayers is January 31, 2014.

Provisional taxpayers form a much smaller segment of the tax base and are those individuals with other forms of income like investment income, income from business activities, rental income or royalties income.

For more information call the SARS Contact Centre on 0800 00 7277.