Requesting a correction on your Income Tax Return

Did you know that if your submitted Income Tax Return (ITR12) has an error, you can revise and resubmit it?

To revise an initially submitted Income Tax Return, the taxpayer or the tax representative should use the function “Request Correction” on eFiling to re-resubmit an updated Income tax return to SARS.

This function must be used when a taxpayer or tax representative made an error during the completion of the initial return. However, a request for correction (to resubmit a revised Income Tax Return) will not be permitted in the following instances:

• If the return is on an issued or saved state (ie not yet submitted to SARS)
• If the request for correction was submitted for an active verification in progress;
• An active audit case is in progress;
• An agreed estimate was performed by SARS for the Personal Income Tax;
• SARS has finalised an audit case or a Revised Declaration of your Personal Income Tax; or
• If you have submitted supporting documents for an active verification.

The eFiling status will change to Correction Filed once you have submitted the Request for Correction.

Are you always on the go?

Why not download and use the SARS MobiApp to interact with SARS and to manage all your tax matters?

The SARS MobiApp allows taxpayers to complete and submit Income Tax Returns (ITR12); submit supporting documents, check refund status, and much more.

Below are more transactions that can be done on the SARS MobiApp:

• Register for eFiling
• Reset your username and password
• Make a payment to SARS
• Set up a Call Back from the SARS Contact Centre
• View a Notice of Assessment
• Request and view the Income Tax Statement of Account
• View the status of the return
• Use the tax calculator
• Saved ITR12 returns are auto refreshed
• The Branch Locator shows the estimated waiting queue time
• Activation of the Income Tax Return (ITR12) via the SARS MobiApp
• Tax Practitioners can access the SARS MobiApp for the completion and submission of their Personal Income Tax clients and their Personal Income Tax products where they have full access rights; and

Lwazi ChatBot: Additional services for taxpayers

Need help with your tax matters? Why not ask SARS’ virtual assistant, ‘Lwazi the ChatBot’.

Lwazi ChatBot is an interactive self-service platform available via SARS eFiling or the SARS MobiApp. This platform allows taxpayers / tax representatives to ask tax-related questions to SARS using the convenience of their smart phone, tablet or computer.

To improve customer experience and enable effective self-service offerings when using this platform, SARS has enhanced the ChatBot to provide additional self-service options.

Enhancements made to the “Lwazi” virtual assistant allows taxpayers to access the following services:

• Personal Income Tax Reference Number request
• Personal Income Tax Statement of Account request
• Personal Income Tax Refund Status request
• Personal Income Tax Audit Status request
• Personal Income Tax Notice of Assessment (ITA34)
• Request SARS to Call back

You can download and install the SARS MobiApp from the App Store (for Apple devices), Google Play Store (for Android devices) or the Huawei App Gallery.

Regional News

Implementation of Administrative penalties on PAYE

SARS has implemented administrative penalties for the non-submission of the annual Reconciliation Declaration (EMP501). These penalties are imposed automatically when a registered employer fails to submit their annual Reconciliation Declaration (EMP501). If you are registered for PAYE but do not currently have employees from whom you withhold taxes, you need to engage SARS either to de-register your PAYE tax number or suspend your registration in order to avoid these penalties accumulating. Businesses are urged to contact SARS if they need to suspend or deregister their PAYE reference numbers. 

This must be done in writing and a cancellation date must be specified. Please click on the following site for contact details: Contact SARS via email.   

Alternatively, if you are no longer an employer and all employment taxes must be deregistered, you can request deregistration via eFiling. Under the SARS Registered Details section, a Registration Maintenance function has been made available.

Individual taxpayers with rental properties and other income

SARS has gathered third-party data from various sources related to the assets and investments of individuals. Please ensure that all rental income and other income is accurately declared when submitting your returns. If you fail to declare this income and SARS uses third-party data to raise an assessment, you run the risk of facing onerous penalties of up to 150%.

Protect your identity and eFiling profiles

Taxpayers are warned to protect their tax reference numbers, Identity numbers, as well as eFiling profiles. Please share this information only with people you trust as this information in the wrong hands could result in fraud being perpetrated in your name.

Pop-up branches

The Gauteng South area has set up a number of “pop-up branches” to assist taxpayers away from SARS branches. These include the following:

• Greenstone Mall, Edenvale: Operating hours Monday to Friday10:00 to 17:00, Saturdays (as of 25/9) 9:00am to 14:00
• Alberton City Mall, New Redruth, Alberton: Operating hours 9:00 to 16:30 hours weekdays
• The Glen Shopping Centre, Oakdene: Operating hours Monday to Friday 9:00 to 17:00
• Heidelberg Mall, Heidelberg: Fridays from 9:00 to 15:00
• Carletonville Civic Centre: Wednesdays to Fridays at 9:00am to 15:00 hours

Meanwhile, SARS’ Gauteng North region has installed self-service kiosks at the Brits and Bronkhorstspruit municipal buildings. These kiosks, which are connected to free wi-fi, enable taxpayers to perform a number of functions on their own, without having to go into a SARS branch eg. Logging into eFiling, finding their tax number, uploading supporting documents, making a payment to SARS, etc. For more info on SARS’ outreach activities, click here.]