FAQS: SARS eFiling

  Written by Nicci   Updated 18 June 2024

Filing a tax return for the first time can be a daunting task. To get you started, we’ve gone back to the basics

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I have received a SARS admin penalty - what do I do now?

  Written by Nicci   Updated 18 June 2024

SARS have recently become a lot stricter about levying administrative penalties. These are penalties for missing the deadline to submit your tax return. You can read about these recent changes in the law here.

If you have outstanding/un-filed tax returns from prior years, chances are high that SARS will have slapped on administrative penalties.

You may have recentl...

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Cannot access refund due to a special stopper

  Written by Alicia   Posted 13 June 2024

SARS owes me a refund but according to the call centre they placed a stopper on my tax account and now need to see proof of the payment I made that caused the refund. I did make this payment, but the bank account I used to pay it to SARS has since closed.
How else can I prove that I did in fact make this payment?

Can I claim home office expenses I incurred in 2020 a few years later?

  Written by Alicia   Posted 12 June 2024

Good day,

I am writing to ask if it would be possible to make corrections to 2020 tax return assessment. I would like to include the home office expenses claim as I did work from home during the covid 19 lock down period.

Looking forward to your response.

Depreciation on furniture bought for rental property

  Written by Alicia   Posted 12 June 2024

I bought furniture for R 172 000 back in 2018 for my rental property. This was bought through the developer as part of a rental pool offering. Rental pool contract stating furniture costs, e-mail clarifications and proof of payment for this is in my possession but not the actual receipts or individual pricing for the items. According to the TaxTim depreciation calculator, I can claim around R 28 600 in 2022 tax year. My question is, can I claim this with the documentation in my possession and ca...

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Update Banking Details for a refund from SARS

  Written by Alicia   Updated 5 June 2024

Good morning,

I am no longer banking with the bank I used during 2023 and am trying to update my details on SARS eFiling. So far, I have successfully added my new bank and this has been verified by SARS. However, I am unable to remove my old banking details, and select my new bank as the primary transaction account for payments from SARS. Do I need to wait to file my 2024 tax return to effect this change?

Tax Season 2024: opening date and deadlines

  Written by Nicci   Posted 4 June 2024

The 2024 filing season opens this year on Monday, 15 July.  

Tihs year, the tax season is even shorter than last year (and last year was shorter than the prior year!). This means that SARS are giving you less time to file your tax return.

Important Filing Deadlines

21 October 2024: salaried employees, who earn no other income (i.e non-provisional taxpayers)

20 January 2025: self-emplo...

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How to add a registered representative to your company with SARS

  Written by Alicia   Updated 28 May 2024

In previous years, it was relatively easy to add a company to your eFiling profile, whether it was an Organization or Tax Practitioner profile.

However, since early last year, SARS has changed the procedure. Now, to add a company to your profile, you need to add  a registered representative. In order to do this, you must send a request to SARS along with the following documents each time you want to represent a new company:

• An image of yourself taken on the day the...

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Bank Branch Codes

  Written by Nicci   Posted 27 May 2024

(endpreview)

Bank Name	Universal Branch Code
ABN AMRO BANK	740000
ABSA	632005
ALBARAKA BANK	800000
BANK OF ATHENS	410105
CAPITEC BANK	470010
CITIBANK	350005
FNB	25065...

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Navigating your way around your IRP5

  Written by Nicci   Updated 27 May 2024

Received your IRP5 or IT3(a) but unsure what it all means? Here’s a quick introduction to help you understand this tax document.

Personal details:

Your IRP5 starts with your personal details. While these details won’t override what SARS has on record, it’s important to check them and update any outdated information with your employer.

Income:

Your ...

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How to access your eFiling login details

  Written by Alicia   Posted 24 May 2024

In order to use TaxTim and import your tax certificates directly from your SARS eFiling profile, you will need to be able to login to your SARS profile.

If you do not remember your eFiling username and password, here is a short guide to request it:

1. Go to  SARS eFiling and click "Forgot Username". 

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Is rental expense a tax deductible expense for Airbnb subletting?

  Written by Alicia   Posted 23 May 2024

I know that the interest on a bond is tax deductible in the case of an Airbnb.
I was wondering if the rental of a property is also tax deductible if you use the arbitrage Airbnb method, i.e. subletting a fixed-term rental as an Airbnb?

Another question, what if the property is not my own, I am renting it from someone and subletting it. Is the rental expense that I pay, a deductible expense of operating the Airbnb business?

I know you have tiers of packages. How much do you charge to do the income tax of individuals that include the rental income? ...

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How to see which Tax Directives SARS has on record for you

  Written by Alicia   Updated 23 May 2024

Issue:

When you submit your tax return, SARS rejects it with a message which states that a Tax Directive was issued by SARS, but no Lump Sum amount is declared in the return.

This means that SARS has a Tax Directive on record for you and they are expecting to see the related lumpsum IRP5 with the matching Tax Directive in your tax return. If you have not included this IRP5, SARS won’t be able to finalise your return and issue you an assessment for the ta...

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How would SARS tax you if you win the Powerball?

  Written by Alicia   Posted 21 May 2024

If I win the Powerball and decide to put all my winnings into a savings account and live off the interest, will I have to pay tax on my interest earned only, or am I supposed to pay tax on the total amount of winnings in the account?

How do I obtain my ITA34 documents?

  Written by Alicia   Posted 21 May 2024

I have lived abroad for six years and have not paid my taxes in South Africa.
I have now returned and am living in South Africa. I need to obtain my ITA34 documents for the past three years for the bank.

How do I do my taxes as a freelancer?

  Written by Alicia   Posted 16 May 2024

I'm a freelancer  - how do I do my taxes? Do I register as provisional taxpayer or can I still pay PAYE monthly?

One time pin (OTP) is sent to the wrong cell number and email

  Written by Alicia   Posted 16 May 2024

 
I am trying to authorise TaxTim to share access to my SARS profile. When I click on the Manage Tax Types request, the one time pin is sent to the incorrect cell number. What can I do?

Turnover Tax FAQs

  Written by Nicci   Updated 16 May 2024

What is the definition of tax threshold? Tax thresholds? SARS Threshold.
A Tax threshold is the lower limit of earnings at which tax needs to start being paid. So any income less than the current threshold, would not be taxed.

What is Turnover Tax? 
Turnover Tax is a streamlined taxation system designed to simplify tax compliance for small businesses. It replaces several types of taxes—Income Tax, VAT, Provisional Tax, Capital Gains Tax, and Dividends Tax—with a single tax based on turnover...

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What is Turnover Tax?

  Written by Vee   Updated 16 May 2024

Turnover Tax is a simplified tax system only available to sole proprietors, partnerships, companies, or close corporations with a “qualifying turnover” of less than R1m per year. These types of entities are called micro businesses.

As the name implies, Turnover Tax is a type of tax, which is calculated against the turnover of a business, as opposed to a percentage of profit (i.e. income less business expenses) as per usual business tax. This difference reduces the administ...

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How to Get a Tax Number in South Africa

  Written by Evan   Updated 15 May 2024

First, check to see if you have a tax number already

You are looking for a 10 digit number from SARS that starts with a 0, 1, 2, 3 or 9. Try any of the methods below to find it.

Ask your employer
Your employer may have registered you in the past. If this is the case, you would have been issued with a 10-digit tax reference number from SARS and you would have an IT150 Notification of registration that states your tax reference number.

Check your payslip...

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Should I trade as a SBC or Sole Proprietor?

  Written by Alicia   Updated 14 May 2024

I've secured a contract of R3. 1m for two years which is going to be invoiced at R130k per month. Whats the best way to go about this? Should I set-up my business as an SBC or sole proprietor?

I'm a remote worker who needs help with their tax

  Written by Alicia   Updated 14 May 2024


I'm an independent contractor working remotely for an international company. The company is not obligated to pay my tax, therefore I need to do it myself.  However,  I'm not sure what the process entails.  Please can you offer help?

Is there tax on interest earned on money in savings accounts?

  Written by Alicia   Posted 13 May 2024

I think my tax return for 2023 was incorrect.
The amount in my ABSA back account pulled through and according to me, I am not supposed to pay tax on interest earned on money in my  savings bank account.

If I am correct, what are the next steps to correct this?

How to get 'shared' access to your SARS eFiling profile

  Written by Alicia   Updated 9 May 2024

 If you notice that you can't do anything on your SARS profile, there's no need to panic.  Sometimes SARS grants TaxTim 'full' access to an individual's eFiling profile, instead of 'shared' access as we requested. 

Follow these simple steps to fix the problem:

Step 1: 

Go to www.sarsefiling.co.za.

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How to get back control of your SARS eFiling profile

  Written by Marc   Updated 9 May 2024

If you want TaxTim to file your tax returns, or you want to take back control from your previous tax practitioner, you will need access to your profile on SARS eFiling.

If you think you might have registered for an eFiling profile (in the distant past), it is a good idea to call SARS and check to see if they can give you your eFiling login details. Call them on 0800 00 7277 (free call from a land line) or try the login recovery steps on their website. ...

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