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Audit / Verification Posts in TaxTim's Blog


What Medical Expenses Can You Claim Back from Tax




Medical expenses are nothing to sneeze at. Private medical treatment is increasingly pushing the limits of medical aid scheme

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SARS is not paying my refund, they want my old returns!



Taxpayers this year are facing a new gripe with SARS when it comes to receiving those well-earned refunds. The current two scenarios are:

  • NO AUDIT: A taxpayer files a tax return, gets their ITA34 and does not need to submit supporting documents; or
  • AUDIT: A taxpayer files a return and in their ITA34 is requested to submit supporting documents, after which they receives a Completion Letter stating "no adjustment made".

In both these cases a refund should be paid out within 72 hours (if the taxpayer is due one), however thousands of taxpayers still have not been paid their refund. Here’s why!...

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Why is SARS asking me for outstanding tax returns?




In 2024, we have noticed that SARS is withholding refunds from taxpayers with outstanding tax returns, sometimes dating back many years. In some cases, SARS is requesting unfiled returns from as far back as 10-15 years ago, going back to when the taxpayer first registered for a tax number.

Block on eFiling submissions older than 5 years

This year, SARS introduced a change to eFiling that has frustrated many taxpayers. Returns older than five years are now blocked from being submitted on individual profiles, prompting a message that these must be filed at a branch.

Don't worry - TaxTim can help...

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Swear an affidavit for SARS



Has SARS asked you for documents that you can't produce, such as an old IRP5 from a prior year that your employer doesn't have, or that simply doesn't exist?

To prove to SARS that you cannot produce the document they want, you will need to produce what is called a sworn affidavit.

This is basically a letter that you must write, that you then take to your nearest police station to get signed and stamped.

Items to include:

1. Your name, ID number and contact details...

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What does a Completion Letter from SARS mean?



Completion Letter

You will receive a Completion Letter if all goes well and SARS is happy with your documents. This means that SARS is not adjusting your Original Assessment and if you have a refund due, it should be paid out in 72 hours (provided you have no tax debt due or outstanding tax returns from prior years). Similarly, if you owe tax to SARS per your Original Assessment, the amount you owe will remain unchanged.

An example of a Compl...



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I've never been audited before. Why now?




This is a common area of concern for many taxpayers who don’t know why they are asked to submit documents to SARS after they file their tax return.

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5 Reasons you Still Need to File your Tax Return




SARS 2024 tax season dates:

15 July 2024 to 21 October 2024: individual (non-provisional) taxpayers

15 July 2024 to 20 January 2025: provisional taxpayers

If you earn less than R500 000 in a year, and fulfill a series of complicated criteria, you may not have to file a tax return in 2024. 


However, we advise you to take GREAT CARE here, and understand your duties properly, because if you don't, you may suffer for it later on.

Here are the top 5 reasons why you should not  skip filing your tax return this season:

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The 3 R's: Returns, Rebates and Refunds Explained




When it comes to tax jargon, most people prefer to bury their heads in the sand instead of trying to understand all the confusing terms that tax practitioners use. Taxpayers just want to do their tax quickly and easily, and if they’re due - receive some money back from SARS. A lot of confusion surrounds the process, but by understanding three simple terms you can make tax season a little bit easier.

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How long do I have to wait for my tax refund?




Like in previous years, there have always been opening tax season niggles and 2024 has been no different. Patience is a virtue, so the adage goes.

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Where can I get my Medical Scheme Tax Certificate?



In order to complete the Medical section of your annual tax return, you will need a tax certificate from your medical scheme (if you contributed to a medical scheme that is!).

This certificate details exactly how much was paid to the medical aid for yourself and your dependents over the course of the tax year (1 March to end Feb). It also details how much money you paid for other medical expenses, such as medicines and doctors expenses, which you claimed for, but your medical aid did NOT cover...

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Home Office Letter



COMPANY LETTERHEAD



Date
Employee's Full Name
Address

 

 To Whom It May Concern,

Subject: Permission to work from home

This letter serves to confirm that _______________________________ (Name of employee), _____________________ (ID number) who is employed by our firm ___________________ (Company name) in the capacity of __________________________ (Position) has permission to work from h...

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SARS eFiling profile hacking



SARS has reported a rise in eFiling profile hijacking, involving various methods such as altering security details, creating, or modifying taxpayer profiles, and executing SIM swaps.

The hijackers’ objectives are to redirect tax refunds to fraudulent bank accounts, which they are setting up for this purpose. There are certain banks which appear to feature more frequently.

If you are the victim of such profile hacking, you must immediately report this fraud via the
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How to Change/Verify Your Bank Details at SARS




SARS has recently issued a new guide with regards to updating your banking details with them. This was done in order to reduce the risk of refunds being paid into the wrong accounts and also to streamline the process, which has tended to be an onerous one in the past.

Change of bank details can be done:

  • in person at a SARS branch (During the pandemic, it would be best to make a telephonic appointment with SARS and then send them your supporting documents, SARS will cont...


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Why does SARS require manual intervention to finalise my return?




When a Tax Return is filed usually SARS issues an immediate assessment (ITA34), however sometimes they do need to do a further manual check on their side.

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Income Tax Return Verifications and Audits



It is important to note that verifications and audits are two different processes. In a simple explanation, verification is the "straightforward" process to confirm if the information you declared on your tax return is true and correct, whilst an audit is where the tax return is under deeper investigation which means they look at the finer details. 

Supporting documents request

If SARS decides to review your tax return, they will notify you via a SARS let...

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Don't file on SARS eFiling before 7 July



Last year, we noticed that many taxpayers filed their tax returns before the tax season officially began (i.e July). However, doing so caused delays and problems with their tax refunds.

There are only three specific instances where you can file your tax return (ITR12) directly on eFiling before tax season starts:

  • If you have been declared insolvent / sequestrated or, 
  • If you need to file a tax return for a deceased estate or, 
  • If you are em...


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9 Steps to File an Objection to Your Tax Assessment




You’ve been diligent with your tax obligations, you’ve paid your PAYE (employees tax) each month without fail, you’ve kept all the supporting documents for your deduction claims and you’ve carefully filled out your tax return, making sure you’ve put all the right amounts in all the right places, against all the right codes. (Pssst, if you used TaxTim to help you complete your tax return, you wouldn’t have had to worry about all the right places and codes because that’s all automated for you)...

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SARS repeat reminders for supporting documents



If you received another email from TaxTim requesting SARS supporting documents, but you already sent these to SARS more than 21 business days ago, one of these four scenarios might be the reason you are still waiting:

Scenario 1:

You submitted the documents directly on SARS eFiling yourself, but you did not inform TaxTim. In this case, our system needs to be updated to reflect that you already submitted your documents.

Please log into your TaxTim profi...

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How to cruise through a travel audit efficiently




Surely most of us love to travel, but traveling for business purposes is no fun when it comes to completing your tax return.

SARS has some rather onerous requirements, but as long as you know what you need, submitting your documents to SARS should be plain sailing.

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Your social media posts might flag you with SARS



According to SARS commissioner Edward Kieswetter, some South Africans who came into money were eager to “display their wealth”, giving cause for SARS to look into the income of these individuals.

In many cases, SARS found that there was a major disconnect between the income that was being declared and the type of lifestyle that these individuals were leading, according to third-party data. These include social media platforms.

As we already know, people are often i...

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Calculate interest on late provisional tax payment



SARS charges interest on late payments made toward provisional tax deadlines.

To calculate this late payment penalty, use the formula below:

Provisional tax amount x 7% x (days after deadline / 365)


Use the calculator below:



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When Will SARS Pay My Tax Refund?



Hundreds of thousands of South Africans are filing their annual tax returns and everyday people ask us “when will I get my refund from SARS?”.

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I submitted all my documents to SARS, They've asked again. Why?




We are seeing many cases where taxpayers submit their documents to SARS, wait 21 working days (sometimes longer) only to receive a second letter on eFiling which requests the exact same documents again.

The letter we are referring to here is the generic SARS document request which looks like the below:

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) thanks you for submitting the revised income tax return for the 2018 tax period.

The revised information still does not match the information in the possession of the SARS and/or the income tax return has been identified for verification in terms of the Tax Administration Act....

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Tax on Bonus Payments: How Does it Work?




For those fortunate enough to receive bonus payments as part of your remuneration, you’ll understand the

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Do I earn enough to have to pay tax?




Why must I pay tax, I don’t earn enough! Will I get a penalty if I don’t disclose all my income to SARS?

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