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How long should the audit verification take?



Deco says:
9 March 2016 at 12:12

Submitted verification documents for 2015 tax return on 9 January 2016. No completion letter or anything further from SARS since then. I understood that the verification process should be completed within 21 working days? In previous years, refund was normally finalised and paid by end January.

TaxTim TaxTim says:
9 March 2016 at 14:49

You need to contact SARS on 0800 00 7277 to find out what the problem is, it could be that you have outstanding tax returns from previous years that need to be attended to or that your banking details need to be verified.

Deco says:
9 March 2016 at 15:37

Thanks, but where previous tax returns/bank details are required one would generally be notified. Also, whilst refunds would be delayed, it would not delay the completion letter.

Speaking to SARS now, I was informed that SARS have revised the verification time from 30 to 60 working days wef 9 February 2016 (they haven't halved their staff, thus one assumes that their efficiency has halved...). Even if one's verification docs had been submitted before 9 Feb, it would still be subject to a 60 working day response time. Eish.

TaxTim TaxTim says:
9 March 2016 at 22:22

SARS do not always send out letters of notification and Letters of Completion are also not always sent out, sometimes just an assessment which can be revised or additional and in that case no Letter of Completion is sent. Often this happens and taxpayers are left unawares that previous tax returns need to be submitted and refunds are left hanging.

However the new rule having gone into effect really does impose a great disservice to taxpayers as why should they wait so long for something to be performed. We feel your pain as it impacts thousands of our users unfortunately.

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