SOUTH AFRICA - SARS OPENS ITS DOORS ON SATURDAYS IN OCTOBER FOR TAX RETURNS

The SA Revenue Service will be open on Saturdays in October 2019 to assist taxpayers with filing their personal income tax returns.

This is in a bid to help taxpayers to comply with filing deadlines, according to a statement issued by the tax agency on Monday. Saturday opening hours will be from 08:00 to 13:00.

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The statement cautioned taxpayers that assistance would be limited to the submission of personal income tax returns, and helping taxpayers to register for and file on the SARS app.

''Taxpayers are reminded to bring all the necessary supporting documents to avoid frustration,'' said SARS.

Taxpayers meeting all of the following requirements are reminded that they do not have to file a return: 

Your total employment income for the year before tax is not more than R500 000.

You only receive employment income from one employer for the full tax year.

You have no other form of income (e.g. car allowance, business income, and rental income, taxable interest or income from another job).

You don’t have any additional allowable tax related deductions to claim (e.g. medical expenses, retirement annuity contributions and travel expenses).

SARS encouraged taxpayers to "do right", saying that each tax contribution would help to enable and build a "capable, democratic state that fosters sustainable economic growth and social development".

The revenue service has vowed to crack down on non-compliant taxpayers this year. By late July, however, SARS  also said it had already paid out R3.5bn in refunds since the start of the tax filing season, Fin24 previously reported. There have also been fewer delays in refunds, according to tax and audit firm Mazars.

The closing dates for filing personal income tax returns are:

October 31, 2019 for for provisional and non-provisional taxpayers who visit a SARS branch for assistance with filing

December 4, 2019 for non-provisional taxpayers, who use eFiling or the SARS MobiApp
January 31, 2020 for provisional taxpayers who use eFiling.