Tax season off to smooth start

[caption id="attachment_39254" align="alignright" width="405"] WAITING GAME: Rows of taxpayers yesterday wait to be assisted with their income tax returns at the SARS office in Port Elizabeth. Tax season opened on Tuesday. Picture: FREDLIN ADRIAAN[/caption]

THE tax season is in full swing and operations are running smoothly at the Port Elizabeth branch of the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

Although lines stretched down Chapel Street in Central yesterday morning, people submitting their claims were mostly patient and stood on average 20 minutes before entering the building, to be seated and wait their turn to file their year's personal income tax forms.

The elderly and disabled were given preference and taken out of queues to move to the front, with extra disabled parking bays being a new addition to this year's tax-filing season in the Bay.

PE branch operations manager Patience Ndende, who was personally handling tax returns yesterday morning, said other than being very busy the tax-filing season was going smoothly.

"People need to remember to bring all their documents in order not to get turned back after queuing for a long time and then fighting with my staff," Ndende said.

For tax-filing purposes, these include their IRP5 document(s) as supplied by their employers, medical aid certificates, log books for those who have car allowances, retirement annuity statements, as well as a valid identification document.

Ndende said SARS also made mobile tax units available throughout the region, with a roadshow across the Eastern and Southern Cape at municipalities, community halls and shopping centres currently under way, and visited businesses with a large number of employees who could be assisted with their tax returnsby individual SARS employees.

PKF Port Elizabeth tax director Errol Reed said the bulk of the personal income tax returns remained the same as the previous year. However people submitting their income tax returns with the electronic filing system, eFiling, should be aware of one important change in the process.

"There is a change in the way information is provided for the Single Registration Process. It is complicated to some degree and people may not understand it. They need to phone the SARS helpline for assistance or consult a tax practitioner if they get stuck," Reed said.

It was also important for people submitting medical claims to keep copies of their medical expenses, in case they were audited and needed to provide the statements, slips and bills that added up to the amount they claimed.

Last year more than 90% of eligible taxpayers submitted their taxes on time and almost 95% of returns were assessed within three seconds, with 95% of refunds paid out within 72 hours. A total of R16.1-billion in refunds was paid out.

Of the R899.8-billion in tax revenues SARS collected for the 2013-2014 financial year, personal income tax accounted for more than R310.9-billion, a third of total revenue collected.

SARS deputy spokeswoman Marika Muller could not give the number of tax returns filed this season but reported smooth tax filing across all platforms, including the eFiling system. Filing: all you need to know Who must submit an income tax return?

Any taxpayer whose gross income for the year is below R250000 does not have to file a tax return unless they earn a salary from another employer, have another form of income or if they want to claim deductions such as medical expenses, retirement annuities or travel expenses. SARS receives the income information for taxpayers in this income segment from their employers.

SARS at your doorstep:

Mobile tax units will be visiting various parts of the Eastern Cape and will be able to assist with the submission of income tax returns, registrations and general inquiries.

The Port Elizabeth offices of SARS is open from 7am to 4pm, and on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm.

For e-filing visit . For queries, e-mail or call the SARS contact centre for assistance at 0800007277.

SARS will be at the following towns and cities this month:

Graaff-Reinet Town Hall and Somerset East municipality today.

Humansdorp Shopping Centre from Monday July 7 to Wednesday July 9.

Hornlee Community Hall in Knysna on Wednesday July 9.

Jeffreys Bay Town Hall on Thursday July 10.

Grahamstown Church Square from Monday July 14 to Thursday July 17.

Cleary Park Shopping Centre in Port Elizabeth on Friday July 18.

Middelburg municipality from Monday July 28 to Tuesday July 29.

Cradock municipality from Wednesday July 30 to Thursday July 31.

Important dates:

The deadline for manual tax returns, by post or by dropping them off in a SARS drop box, is September 26.

The deadline for all non-provisional taxpayers is November 21. 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 who submit returns via e-filing is January 30. Provisional taxpayers are those individuals with other forms of income like investment income, income from business activities, rental income, royalties income or directors of companies. – Source of information: SARS website - Cindy Preller