Sars says R10 billion worth of tax returns already paid with an average of R5 900 per person

The South African Revenue Service (Sars) has already paid out R10 billion to taxpayers after it concluded its Auto-Assessment on Sunday, 14 July 2024.

Sars Commissioner, Edward Kieswetter led a media briefing on Tuesday to give an update on the tax season, which is set to run till 21 October for non-provisional taxpayers and till 20 January 2025 for provisional taxpayers.

Millions of taxpayers assisted

Kieswetter said millions of taxpayers have already been assisted, with at least R10 billion worth of returns paid out to 1.6 million taxpayers at an average of R5 900 per person. 191 000 returns were filed on Monday, 15 July from that number, 183 000 returns were filed digitally.

“This is great because it means most of you did not have to stand in the cold to come to our branches to fulfil your legal obligation,” said Kieswetter.

In total, Sars has serviced over 3 million transactions across all their channels, with over a million being on their website. He said on Monday, 15 July, Sars received 57 000, and could only service 15 000 due to the length of calls and limited capacity at their call centre. R4 billion worth of returns will be paid out within 72 hours.

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Delays in payments

Kieswetter said if returns are not paid out within 72 hours of submitting returns, it could be because there are tax returns from prior years outstanding, or banking details which are not up-to-date. To avoid any delays, taxpayers are advised to ensure that their banking details are updated, as there have been instances where returns are paid out into inactive or old accounts, which will take time for this to be corrected.

Inform Sars of new employment

Once an employer welcomes a new employee, the employer has an obligation to register the new employee and taxpayer, which can be completed online. “Waiting in long queues, especially during this cold weather is not okay. We try to service everyone as fast as we can.”

Those who were previously not required to file, and have changed jobs are required to contact the taxman. This is to avoid having to pay any penalties in the future. Kieswetter has since applauded taxpayers to make use of online platforms for anything tax-related before visiting a branch. Such as:

• SARS eFiling on the Sars’ website www.secure.sarsefiling.co.za
• Download the SARS Mobi app from the Google Play or Apple Stores
• Call the USSD number – *134*7277# to enquire about their status and other details
• Chat with Sars on the WhatsApp number – 0800 11 7277
• Access Sars On-line Query System (SOQS) on our website www.sars.gov.za
• Self-help videos and step-by-step guides available on Sars media pages
• Call the Contact Centre and select Help You eFile ahead of going through to a Service Consultant.

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Beware of scammers

Kieswetter says they have become aware of scam messages from those who seek to defraud taxpayers of their hard-earned money. “These scammers send messages pretending to be a representative of Sars. Please take special care before clicking on any link.”

Tips by Sars to avoid becoming a victim:

• Do not open or respond to emails from sources you do not recognise
• Beware of emails that ask for personal information, which can include tax numbers, banking or eFiling details. “We will never ask you for these,” he says.
• Sars will never request your banking details via email, post, or sms.
• Sars will not send you hyperlinks to any other websites, including banks.

“I wish to thank a million of the taxpayers who choose to honour their tax obligations. I would also like to thank our staff for working tirelessly.”

ALSO READ: Waiting for Sars to answer? Taxman apologises for hours-long call centre delays