Last day to submit your tax return

By Angelique Ruzicka, editor, Justmoney.co.za

Non-provisional taxpayers must submit their income tax return (ITR12) today (22 November 2013) in order to meet the tax return deadline.


Taxpayers have until midnight tonight to submit their tax returns via e-Filing or have until 4pm at South African Revenue Service (SARS) branches to submit their documentation.


Deputy spokesperson for SARS, Marika Muller, has called for taxpayers to be patient. “We encourage people who are submitting their returns today to be patient as we are dealing with large volumes. Yesterday we had over 112,000 submissions,” she said.


If you need help with your with your eFiling you can access the Help-You-eFile, a free service available to all eFilers. Simply click on the Help-You-eFile icon on your eFiling login page or at any point during your eFiling session to be connected to a SARS agent who will help you to complete your form.


Alternatively, you can contact SARS by phone. “Contact centres will be open till 5pm but depending on call volumes we may keep the lines open for longer,” said Muller.


Late filing penalties
SARS says that if you submit your ITR12 after the deadline you are liable for an administrative penalty for non-compliance. The penalty amount imposed depends on your taxable income and ranges from R250 up to R16 000 per month for each month that your return is outstanding. If you don’t pay the penalty SARS can lawfully deduct the penalty from your salary or bank account.


Don’t panic!
If you need help filing your tax return there is still some time to get the facts straight but you may have to wait in the queue to get the assistance you need. To contact SARS via phone, call them on 0800 00 7277 or find the nearest branch. SARS also has a helpful guide to help you complete your ITR12.

Don’t become a victim
Don’t let any random stranger or company offer to do your tax return for you as there are plenty of scams out there. It’s best to complete your ITR12 yourself or to get a professional to do it for you. To find out more about the most common scams and phishing attacks, click here.