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Joannes Willem J M POOT says: 6 April 2022 at 11:52 Thanks for the message, helpful! Kindly inform me when I must complete my tax return electronically. What is all the fuss about the medical cost deductions? I am 74 y old and want to know what I can and cannot deduct differently from last year (my medical scheme DISCOVERY can not help me!) |
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TaxTim says: 6 April 2022 at 16:22 Hi Joannes, Thanks for the compliments, keep them coming! Tax season opens on 1 July and you have until the end of November to file. I suggest filing early though and get that refund, if due, as soon as possible. As a 74 year old there is good news, you can claim all your medical aid expenses and all your other expenses that medical aid didn't cover. So include it all. If you do your tax return via TaxTim then you will be asked this as a question. I hope this helps. Regards, Tim |
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Heinrich van den Heever says: 6 April 2022 at 15:49 Hi Tim Please help me out here? My wife does not work but due to company policies I have to belong to a much more expensive medical aid if I am not on my wife's medical aid. So I pay our medical aid every month, but the tax certificate shows me as a dependant and not the main member... Am I allowed to submit this tax certificate for my tax returns? Regards Hein |
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TaxTim says: 6 April 2022 at 17:45 Hi Hein, Thanks very much for the question! Just to clarify, the medical aid you belong to is in your wife's name, but you pay for it? I'm assuming she is the main member? You will be able to claim the deduction as you pay for it, just as long as she doesn't claim it as well and if you are audited by SARS you can then show proof that you make payment. I hope this answers your question? Regards, Tim |
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Heinrich van den Heever says: 6 April 2022 at 14:40 Thank you very much for the feedback, this is gr8 news |
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Nothando says: 6 April 2022 at 9:02 Hi Tim, I've just done my efiling and Statement of assessment shows a negative balance. Does this mean I owe SARS the amount or , its actually the other way round, and SARS owes me? thanks Nothando |
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TaxTim says: 6 April 2022 at 9:08 Hi Nothando, Check your IT34 for confirmation, but yes this means that you are owed a refund and should be receiving some cash in your account in the next few days. Regards, Tim |
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Shabnaan says: 6 April 2022 at 10:42 Hi. I received my ITSA and it stated that I wasn't selected for Audit, yet they asked for supporting documents. It states I have a refund due. However, since then, I have received a new ITSA, which I requested after speaking to the call centre, and that now states that I have been selected for Audit. With all this conflicting information, there is nobody to talk to in order to answer my question as to how come, I have received conflicting correspondence from SARS and their staff. Not only that, emailing them seems to be futile as it's been 5 days since I sent an email to the auditors with no response. Oh, and the complaints department reckons I don't have a valid complaint!! Now the audit can take 3months to a year according to the call centre. Is this correct?? |
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TaxTim says: 6 April 2022 at 13:52 Hi Shabnaan, I wish I had better news, but once you are in the audit process it can take anywhere from 3 to 9 months usually. Can I ask you to send me your 2 ITSA'a to tim@taxtim.com - let me have a look and see what happened. However I think they made an error on the document when it said not selected for audit, but if the audit stands you will need to be patient. SARS is quick if there is nothing needed for submission, however, after that, it can take a while. The call centre, although often useful, has been known to not have the correct people for the information required. Email me those documents and let me have a look. Regards, Tim |
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Faith says: 7 April 2022 at 10:58 What if i haven"t filed for a tax return since 2009? will i get penilised? |
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Kavita says: 7 April 2022 at 12:39 Hi Tim I'm just a little unsure, this is the first time that I've received an IRP5, I've been paying taxes since October 2011. I don't have medical aid and I've just recently obtained a retirement annuity policy. My question is, what factors does SARS take into consideration when determining whether one should get a refund or not. And secondly without medical aid and a retirement annuity what are the chances of getting a refund? Thank you |
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TaxTim says: 7 April 2022 at 18:24 Hi Faith, SARS is quite strict at the moment and will not release any refund due for 2012 if all tax returns have not been submitted yet. There could also be very large penalties. You do need to submit all your returns, my advice is to do so as soon as possible to avoid incurring any further penalties and possible interest charges. Regards, Tim |
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TaxTim says: 7 April 2022 at 18:36 Hi Kavita, That's a great question thanks! Your employer will deduct Pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) on a monthly basis which is calculated on the amount of income you earn using SARS tables. Basically each month your income is multiplied by 12 and then based on that you pay tax as per the tax brackets. If you have expenses like medical aid and a retirement annuity fund and your employer doesn't pay for these then you will be allowed to claim these as a deduction. This will most likely result in a refund to you at year-end when you file. So to answer your question, SARS looks at all your income and allowable expenses and then based on your taxable income, which is income less deductions/allowances, your tax payable will be calculated. Read my blog for a more detailed explanation of his this is calculated. Given your situation and that you have only been working a few months, you should be entitled to a refund:) TaxTim guides you through all these questions so visit the site www.taxtim.com I hope this helps? Regards, Tim |
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Godwin Thando says: 7 April 2022 at 12:56 I received letters around January and February 2012 that I owe sars R1250 for not returning 2010 returns, then I did submit all the documents by March, I didn't yet paid what I owe them, now I want to submit the returns, I have car allowance and I use my car mostly on business travel, I also have medical aid, am quite sure I must get a little refund so my questions are will I get my refund while I owe SARS? |
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TaxTim says: 7 April 2022 at 13:16 Hi Godwin, Unfortunately, you won't get your refund if you owe SARS money. What they do is take all the amounts from each year and work out what the overall balance is. So they will just minus your refund for 2012 from what you owe them already. Have you submitted your return for 2010 and been assessed. You should see this on the ITSA which will be on your eFiling profile? Best advice is to submit your 2012 return and see what the calculator says and then see how much you owe them in total or even the small refund you may get? Regards, Tim |
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Godwin Thando says: 7 April 2022 at 13:22 I will submit any time before month-end, so u mean if maybe my refund was eg R5000 and I owe R1250 they will minus it and I get the difference of of R3750? Or what, I want to know if I must first pay what I owe or I will get the minus difference, and I would also like to know how long does it take to get the refund once I've done my returns? |
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TaxTim says: 7 April 2022 at 13:29 Hi Godwin, Yes, that's totally correct, they will just work out the balance. You don't need to pay the amount owed now, although I strongly suggest you submit it as soon as possible because you are being charged penalties and interest on the amount you owe. It takes a few days to get your refund, they are very quick on that only if everything returns for all the years has been submitted. Regards, Tim |
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Godwin Thando says: 7 April 2022 at 13:39 Hi Tim This is a great website! Thumbs up Thanks for the Advice, yep I've done all the previous years' returns after they told me I didn't submit them, I immediately get the IRP5, medical tax certificate and do as they told me, currently, I am only left with the current year's returns that I will do as quickly as possible, Thanx for advice |
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TaxTim says: 7 April 2022 at 13:50 Hi Godwin, Thanks so much for the compliments, always here to assist. If you want to check the refund status before you submit for 2012 run the calculator and then see what the refund is, then at least you will know what the overall amount will be. Have a great day Regards, Tim |
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Godwin Thando says: 7 April 2022 at 14:03 Yes I want to check the refund status, so how do I run the calculator |
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TaxTim says: 7 April 2022 at 17:08 Hi Godwin, At the top next to save and file there is a calculator button. Click that and you will be able to view a rough estimate of your assessment. Regards, Tim |
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Sarah says: 7 April 2022 at 10:20 Hi Tim, I travel a lot in my own car for the company I work for but I do not get a car allowance, I reclaim the KM from the company at the end of the month, should I be filling in a Log Book (Travel/Petrol) and should this be submitted with my tax return? Thanks |
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Mishen says: 7 April 2022 at 16:14 Hi Tim, I have recently submitted my tax return and SARS Refunded me some money, however, my banking details were not updated and the money went into my closed account. I have now gone to SARS and updated my banking details. How long will it take before I get the money into my new account? |
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TaxTim says: 8 April 2022 at 18:39 Hi Mishen, It depends on whether or not the amount was reversed and paid back to SARS. It should be a few days though, so expect it during the course of next week. Regards, Tim |
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TaxTim says: 8 April 2022 at 18:57 Hi Sarah, It depends, does this amount appear on your payslip under source code 3702? If so, you would need to enter this amount on the return under the other expenditure section - Travel Expenses (no allowance - commission income) code 4016. You don't need to keep a logbook as your employer merely reimburses the amount at the applicable rate. I hope this helps? Regards, Tim |
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Silas says: 8 April 2022 at 9:27 Hi Tim, Great website and helpful advice. Can you claim for medical expenses that you pay out-of-pocket for someone else, for example, a relative, who is not a member of your medical aid? |
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TaxTim says: 8 April 2022 at 12:23 Hi Silas, Thanks very much for the complimentary words, we are very glad we can help. To answer your question, it would depend on whether the person you are paying for is a dependent of yours, so your children/wife/parents or someone that has an impairment or disability who you pay their medical expenses for? If so then yes you can claim the out of pocket expense. If for instance, you happen to pay a once-off for your cousin then no in theory this shouldn't be claimed. I hope this helps? Regards, Tim |
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tembi says: 8 April 2022 at 20:03 what if I dont provide them with documents within 21 days. |
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TaxTim says: 8 April 2022 at 9:11 Hi Tembi, If you don't provide the documentation then SARS will withhold any refund due as well as they will start adding on penalties to your balance. My suggestion is to send the documents as soon as you can. Regards, Tim |
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Deepa says: 8 April 2022 at 13:41 Hi Tim . I did my 2012 submission via E-filling and got a statement of account stating that I'm getting a refund of +/-R6000. Then all of a sudden I was audited as well, got an email stating that I needed to submit all my docs. I did that and got a call today to say that they worked on my return. And now I owe them for the first time in my life R3408. How is that possible and how do I take this forward. |
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gerald says: 8 April 2022 at 13:48 i submitted my return and was told I'm getting R4950-00 back. a couple of hours later I was told I'm being audited. I have uploaded all paperwork as requested. how long will it take for this audit to be done and how long before I get paid out? |
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TaxTim says: 8 April 2022 at 14:13 Hi Gerald, SARS have become very efficient at the audit process, but your refund could be paid to you anywhere between a few days and a few months depending on the complication and where you are in the queue. Unfortunately, you will have to be patient and hope yours is quick. Regards, Tim |
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TaxTim says: 8 April 2022 at 14:18 Hi Deepa, Not knowing your personal tax information I can't answer this properly, but this does seem very strange to go from a refund to payment of such a large amount. If you would like to send me a copy of your tax return and the two calculations you received (IT34 and ITSA) to tim@taxtim.com I can have a look and see what may have happened. Regards, Tim |
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Saagar says: 8 April 2022 at 15:27 Hi Tim So from reading through this blog I understand that the audit process timeline is indefinite and will differ for different people. However, I would like to know how will I know when my audit has been completed and then when will payment be processed. For example, my current efiling status reads "assessment received" and the SARS status reads " Your Tax Return has been assessed" will these messages change to a different one once my audit is over to maybe something like "payment has been made"? Also, I was requested to submit supporting documents, which I did, I submitted IRP5's. It did not stipulate which documents I needed to submit I only assumed these ones. I called to query if I needed to submit more, the lady says no.. but she didn't seem to be confident in her answer or clued up about this. How will I know if I have not submitted all the supporting documents required by SARS? The document status reads "documents have been sent to SARS" |
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TaxTim says: 8 April 2022 at 20:12 Hi Saagar, That is a really good question! In general, the process shouldn't take longer than 90 days, at the most. You did the right thing by submitting your documents quickly as this will most certainly speed up the process. I understand your frustration with the call centre, although there are some fantastic operators, not all are as efficient or clued up as they should be. The documents you should always submit when being "audited" are all the ones you used to complete your tax return. SARS will match the amounts and details on these documents to what you have completed on your return and if they are satisfied will process your refund. So you would need to submit all income certificates such as IRP5's, Interest and Capital Gains Certificates as well as any documents relating to deductions such as medical aid certificates and other receipts. In this way, you have provided SARS with all your supporting information and they can assess your case with all the necessary information. Once your audit has been completed your refunds will be released and your status should say "completed" and of course you will know as you should get a bank notification sms or email. I hope this answers your question? Regards, Tim |
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Manna says: 9 April 2022 at 16:49 Hi Tim What does " your tax return has been assessed" mean. Are they now going to refund? According to my ITSA, I have not been selected for an audited. Regards, |
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TaxTim says: 9 April 2022 at 17:10 Hi Manna, Yes, it means your return has been assessed and you should expect your refund within the next few days:) Regards, Tim |
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Ash says: 9 April 2022 at 18:58 Hi Tim, How do I know if I am being audited, will I receive an email or SMS. I filed my taxes via filing and sars requested documents which I sent. My ITA doesn't say I have been selected for an audit and nowhere else does it say anything but I called the call centre today and they say I have been selected for an audit. I spoke to a friend and he checked my sars filing and he says I have not been selected for an audit. Can u give me some advice? Thanks |
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Ash says: 9 April 2022 at 19:16 Hi, My ITA just shows a balance owing to me. Where would it show if I am being audited? Thanks |
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TaxTim says: 9 April 2022 at 21:01 Hi Ash, This seems to be happening quite a bit this current tax season, where taxpayers are unsure if they are being audited or not based on conflicting views from eFiling and the call centre. If you were asked to submit documentation then in theory you are being audited. The turnaround for this process, after you have submitted documentation, can be anywhere from a few to 90 days. I wouldn't worry though as it is not the audit in a traditional sense where they go through years of historical documentation, but there may have been a discrepancy between what you included and the documents they already have. Alternatively, it could be a random selection, this happens quite a bit. Unfortunately, you would need to be patient and wait for SARS' next communication which hopefully will be a refund notification. If you would like to take a screenshot of your eFiling profile and email it to tim@taxtim.com and I can have a look. I hope this helps a bit? Regards, Tim |
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TaxTim says: 9 April 2022 at 21:10 Hi Ash, On the ITSA it says yes or no next to "selected for audit" however there have been some issues with this procedure so you should wait until either you receive your refund or are requested to submit further documentation. Regards, Tim |
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Godwin Thando says: 10 April 2022 at 13:53 Am using Mobile phone to do this am struggling to find the calculator please help |
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TaxTim says: 10 April 2022 at 14:05 Hi Godwin, Click this link and let me know if it works? Calculator Regards, Tim |
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ntuwe says: 10 April 2022 at 19:49 Great blog Tim, I have submited my return for 2012 and got a stament saying that i am owed a certain amount, I have not submited my return for 2011, so does it mean I will get the amount they showed on the statement or I must first submit the 2011 return? |
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TaxTim says: 10 April 2022 at 20:12 Hi Ntuwe, Thanks very much for the good words! Unfortunately, SARS will not release any refund without all returns have been submitted. So in order to get your 2012 refund, you will need to submit all outstanding returns. Regards, Tim |
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JP Erasmus says: 11 April 2022 at 13:05 Hi Tim With my 2011 return, I did not understand the whole travel allowance 3701 and 3703 sections, I did not claim against the travel allowance and so I had to pay in an amount. My question is this, can I have my 2011 return re-assessed if it has already been paid and finalised? On my 2012 return, I am not making the same mistake so I did claim against my travel allowance and now I am getting a refund. Thanks for all the great info! JP |
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TaxTim says: 11 April 2022 at 16:31 Hi JP, You can request a re-assessment of your return from a prior year. This can be done on eFiling or actually going into a SARS branch. If SARS accepts your changes then they will add this to your Statement of Account and should refund the amount. You will probably need to submit supporting documentation however so have all that ready. Regards, Tim |
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naledi says: 11 April 2022 at 11:43 Good Day I received my ITA34 on 16 July 2012. what's the next step? it also showed a negative balance. could you kindly explain? |
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Tlale says: 30 July 2012 at 12:46 I got the SMS saying A statement of account has been issued on sars efiling and when I log in it says the statement of account assessed. When will the whole thing be finalised I forgot to submit my receipts because some time last year I had to pay the doctors from my pocket, can I submit them after the payout or must I just wait for 2013 to submit them? your assistance will be highly appreciated |
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TaxTim says: 11 April 2022 at 13:26 Hi Naledi, If you received an IT34 then either you would have received your refund by now or SARS has asked for supporting documentation. You would have received a letter requesting this so check your eFiling profile. The only other explanation is that you haven't submitted your tax returns for previous years and so SARS is holding off on paying the refund until you have done so. If your refund is under R100 they also don't pay it and rather keep it for the next tax year. I hope this helps? Regards, Tim |
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TaxTim says: 11 April 2022 at 13:44 Hi Tlale, If you received a statement of account (ITSA) and you are due a refund and not selected for audit then you will be paid out in the next few days. There is no requirement to submit any documentation unless requested so don't worry about that. However, you should keep your documents for a period of 5 years in case SARS does request you to submit them at a later stage. Regards, Tim |
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naledi says: 11 April 2022 at 15:16 Thanks Tim Apparently, I didn't notice that I was selected for Audit. I have already uploaded my documents. How long will this take before the payout or the response of the outcome??? |
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TaxTim says: 11 April 2022 at 20:36 Hi Naledi, Unfortunately, this process can be as quick as a few days or up to 90 days. You have to be patient and wait. You can phone SARS every once in a while to ask them, but you must just wait for the refund. I wish I had better news. Regards, Tim |
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Matome says: 12 April 2022 at 6:28 Hi Tim I've submitted my tax return for the first time and they told me that I'm going to receive IT34 via post but on top of my IRP5 they wrote case and numbers, does that mean I'll be refund or not? |
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TaxTim says: 12 April 2022 at 9:41 Hi Matome, Did you go into a SARS office to submit your return? The case number they wrote on your IRP5 was just for reference purposes, it does not mean you are due a refund or not. What I can suggest while you wait for your IT34 in the post is to phone the SARS call centre, your Assessment may have already been done and they should be able to tell you if you are due a refund or not. Regards, Tim |
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Matome says: 12 April 2022 at 11:48 Hi Tim its possible that i might get my refund before i received IT34 because i just call sars and they said I'm due a refund |
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TaxTim says: 12 April 2022 at 11:54 Hi Matome, Yes, SARS should pay this amount into your account in a few days. The IT34 in the post is just so that you have the correct documents. Regards, Tim |
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Tshepo says: 12 April 2022 at 20:15 Hi Tim, I submitted my return on 1 July 2012 and each time I call the SARS call centre I get a different response. The last agent told me the audit was done and now has to go through a Risk assessment. what surprises me is that status still says: Return received but not yet assessed even after 21 working days. |
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Matome says: 20 April 2022 at 6:39 Morning Tim Tim I haven't got my refund yet after submitting my IRP5 on Monday and now I'm worried that it might turn out that I owe sars.plz help |
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TaxTim says: 20 April 2022 at 8:57 Hi Matome, If you were due a refund and you have not received any notification from SARS requesting more documentation then you should be alright and won't need to owe SARS any money. They usually take 3-4 working days before the refund has been deposited in your account. The other reason for the delay could be that you have not submitted all your previous returns and therefore SARS are withholding the refund until you do. So either go on your eFiling profile and check to see whether you have any returns outstanding or you could phone the SARS call centre and they will be able to tell you what the reason for the hold up is. I would wait one more day to see if the money comes into your account. Regards, Tim |
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TaxTim says: 20 April 2022 at 9:01 Hi Tshepo, Unfortunately, once an assessment goes through for audit or risk assessment SARS can take up to 90 days to assess your return and provide you with any refund due or issue an ITSA saying you owe them money. The eFiling status is not always directly linked to the actual status of your return so you are going to have to be patient on this I'm afraid. You can always go into a SARS branch to determine what the delay is, but that may take up even more time. I'm sorry I could not be of more help. Regards, Tim |
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Thabo says: 20 April 2022 at 18:08 I have received IT34 and statement of account already on the 30/02/2022 but did not receive money yet .How long does it take? Does the amount refundable to you of R-2 226.46 mean the money I am going to get back? |
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TaxTim says: 20 April 2022 at 18:28 Hi Thabo, It can take anywhere from 3-5 working days, so if you have not received your refund by Monday then I would suggest phoning the call centre to see what the hold up is? Have you received a request to submit extra documentation? A negative does mean a refund into your bank account:) Regards, Tim |
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Samu says: 20 April 2022 at 7:47 Hi Tim I've submitted my tax return on the 29 of July 2012 and I receive a letter requesting supporting documents then I submitted my documents on the 1st of August. I then gave them a call on the 3rd and they said I was selected for audit but I never receive an ITSA stating that it this possible? |
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TaxTim says: 20 April 2022 at 15:07 Hi Samu, You will not receive an ITSA until you have been fully assessed by SARS, you can request a Statement of Account, but this does not speed things up. Unfortunately, once you have been requested to submit documentation SARS have anywhere up to 90 days to assess you fully. Hopefully, it will be a wick process and you will be paid out your refund shortly. Regards, Tim |
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Samu says: 20 April 2022 at 9:31 Thanks Tim |
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JOSEPH says: 20 April 2022 at 9:53 Hi I want to know what document needed by SARS when you want to claim your tax back. I ve got IRP5 and what else pls. |
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TaxTim says: 20 April 2022 at 19:29 Hi Joseph, The most common documents you will need are: IRP5(s) from your employer for salary IT3b(s) from a bank for interest earned Medical aid certificate(s) / other medical costs Car logbook records Certificates received from a charity / PBO IT3c(s) from a bank for investment disposal Is anything else showing income earned or reasons you shouldn't pay tax on that income. To avoid standing in the lines at SARS, try www.taxtim.com and let Tim help you through the whole process. Regards, Tim |
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anita says: 20 April 2022 at 20:45 Hi Tim What an awesome site! Great insight and learning for me. I received a letter late last year informing me that I owed Sars monies dor penalties for non submission. I paid an amount of R500 rands only to find out later this amount was R1000. I called the call center quering this and was asked to file a letter of objection. Due to time constraints, I did not. In July this year I went to sars to submit my returns and was told I owe sars R126 for medical aid deductions being low. Why didn't the penalties reflect this year and hw is it possible that I cld owe this amount if the deduction is after taking the subsidy of company into account? Do I need to increase my contributions to avoid owing monies to sars in the next tax submission? Thanks, Anita |
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JOSEPH says: 6 August 2012 at 5:09 Ok thanks Tim. |
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Shaun says: 6 August 2012 at 20:32 Hi Tim First of all Great Blog and thanks for being available to ask questions. I have been asked by SARS to provide proof of payment for medical aid contributions made in my private capacity for a portion of the 2012 tax year. During the initial assessment I provided the Medical Aid certificate and SARS only took into account the contributions as deducted from my salary. However from August I changed employers who did not provide any medical aid benefits and I thus paid in a private capacity from ! August 2011 onwards. Given that SARS only took into account medical aid contributions from ! March 2011 to 31 July 2011, I naturally objected. I have provided SARS with the medical aid certificate as provided by Discovery, a tax summary which details my contributions by month as provided by Discovery and a letter from discovery stating I have been paying in my private capacity since 1 August 2011. None of these appear to convince them that I am paying in my private capacity and they have now asked for proof of payment of the total that I paid in my private capacity. What do I need to provide them as Discovery cannot provide me with a receipt for my contributions and I am reluctant to provide SARS reams and reams of bank statements which do however reflect the direct debit paid to Discovery off my account. Your help will be much appreciated. Thanks. |
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TaxTim says: 7 August 2012 at 0:22 Hi Anita, Firstly thanks for the compliment on the blogs! We're glad we are able to help you out. It puzzles me that the penalties didn't appear, but just to confirm they have not charged you a penalty anymore? This actually does happen sometimes as SARS seem to change their penalty policy on a daily basis. Or perhaps after your submission the net amount owing to you is R126 after taking into account the penalties. I suggest looking at your statement of account which will have the exact breakdown of where this amount owing comes from. Depending on how much the company pays and the amount involved determines the actual deduction for a) medical aid fund contributions and b) the allowable deduction for other medical expenditure. For 2012 the medical aid deduction was R720 for the first two members and R440 for further members. Thereafter the deduction is any amount over 7.5% of taxable income (income less deductions). Increasing your contributions is not a good idea, purely for tax purposes, because the 2013 year sees the introduction of the new medical aid tax credit system which provides all taxpayers at the same rate and really limits the options for claiming the b) part of the deduction. Further to that you would be paying in 100% to get at most a 40% deduction for tax purposes which still leaves you in a worse of position cash wise. If the amount owing is only due to the fact that the penalties were taken into account, then the following year should either provide a refund or at the least a zero amount. If your employer is paying the medical aid on your behalf then your employee's tax has already taken the tax effects into account and shouldn't affect your return that dramatically. I hope this answers your question? Regards, Tim |
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TaxTim says: 7 August 2012 at 2:26 Hi Shaun, Thanks very much and keep the questions coming. Your situation is actually quite discouraging because SARS should easily have accepted your documentation, but are clearly looking to be exceptionally pedantic and probably spending more money on your assessment then the actual refund a mount. Depending on which bank you use you should be able to get a print out showing the payments to Discovery only. I agree with you, there is no need to submit to SARS your personal banking transactions so speak to the bank and see what they can do. The only other alternative I can suggest is to get get a sworn affidavit drawn up or even asking Discovery to provide proof from their side that the bank depositing money into their account is yours and with your account number. They will probably be quite reluctant to do this however. Start with the bank and then go from there. I hope this helps. Regards, Tim |
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keo says: 10 August 2012 at 15:51 Hi TIM My dad retired,he got his pensions from government and also income from annuity,when submitting his return online ,we checked the calculator,it actually shows that he owes SARS. What he doesn't understand is how is this possible?It is the first time he submits via e filing. |
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TaxTim says: 10 August 2012 at 16:36 Hi Keo, Where does the annuity come from? The pension from the government should be tax free, but depending on where the annuity comes from there may be a small tax amount to be paid on this. I have emailed you to ask to see the calculation if you'd like. Regards, Tim |
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Elize Koularas says: 10 August 2012 at 18:35 Hi Tim i submitted my tax return on the 7/7/2012 and was selected for audit. I had a tax directive that they asked me to supply a IRP5 from the employer with the directive number on but the employer could not provide me with a IRP5 with the directive number on as the money was paid out to my laywer but supplied me with a letter stating the reason why they could not put the directive on the IRP 5, i then gave sars the documents and now i am not getting a reinbursment on that directive. I would like to know why? When i phone the 0800 number i speak to operators that can not help in answering my question!!! |
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TaxTim says: 10 August 2012 at 23:49 Hi Elize, Has SARS denied the reduction in liability claimed by the use of the directive? What was the reason given to you for the disallowing of the directive? Did you submit your documents online via eFiling or have you spoken to anyone in person? You would probably need to dispute this on eFiling and go through the whole process of actually writing to SARS setting out your case. There are a few alternatives here, firstly getting your lawyer to issue you a tax certificate showing the funds paid to you and the amount withheld for tax, I imagine the lawyer was paid the after tax amount. Secondly has your employer given proof to you that the tax was withheld, aside from just a letter. You need to be able to demonstrate that the cash paid out to you and the amount owed to you are different and that difference was already paid over to SARS. You would need to get quite bit of paperwork here, but in the long run it will be worth the trouble. The other method, would be to go into a SARS branch and actually request an appointment with an assessor. This will take a lot of time, but again if the amount is big enough then worth it. There seems to be a growing trend for SARS to disallow things like this because they do not have the proper paper trail of the documents submitted by employers and what you submit tying up with one another. The taxpayer always being at the receiving end of this. Why was your employer unable to provide the directive? Regards, Tim |
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mpho oscar sigwadi says: 12 August 2012 at 14:22 Hi Tim I started working on October 2007 and have a medical with 2 dependents and i submit my tax returns on time but the problem is i never got a cent from sars and my co-workers always get more than R3000 every year. What could be the problem as i have never worked before. |
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TaxTim says: 12 August 2012 at 21:35 Hi Mpho, Does your employer pay for your medical aid either on your behalf or as part of your overall salary? If this is the case then your employee's tax already takes the medical aid into account. If you pay the medical aid independently of your employment then you should be due a refund. Your fellow workers could also have other deductions such as pension fund, retirement annuity fund, a travel allowance they are claiming against? Have a look at the blog on what can be claimed as a deduction or go through the TaxTim to complete your return correctly and completely. Regards, Tim |
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NOma says: 13 August 2012 at 11:29 Hi Tim Thanks for a great blog, one question from me. How long does it take SARS to update bank details for efilling, i went to their offices on the 8th of Aug with all the required docs and its still not updated till today Thanks Noma |
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TaxTim says: 13 August 2012 at 12:05 Hi Noma, If you went into the branch and sat with someone then it should have been done within 48 working hours, so I would expect it to be updated either later today or tomorrow due to last Thursday's public holiday. If you posted the proof into a SARS office or just dropped off documents then this could be much longer, up to a few weeks even. Updating banking details at SARS is a new introduction this year so there may be a few teething problems unfortunately, wait until Wednesday morning, if nothing then i suggest contacting the call centre to see if they have even captured the changes. Regards, Tim |
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Joey says: 14 August 2012 at 9:48 HI There this year is the first time that i have done my efiling myself. i had an accountant do it in the past, and i am stressing that i didnt do it right, even though it seemed simple and straight forward. i filed it last week monday the 6/08/2012 and usually i would have heard something by now. i am kind of relying on the rebate so feels like even longer. i have updated my new banking details on the website as they said they will need to verify them but will let me know if i need to take them documents from the bank. it does say that it has been received but not assessed. i dont know where i would see letters from them requesting documentation for anything. havent been able to find anything. also scared that i puch something that i shouldnt. all my returns have been done in the past. do you think that there could be a problem as to why it is taking so long for them to assess? |
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Royton says: 14 August 2012 at 13:36 HOW WILL I KNOW IF I WILL GET A REFUND IT SHOWS IN RED -350.00 WHATS IS THIS |
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Sadeek says: 14 August 2012 at 14:11 if you went into a SARS office and they filled in the form for you and you are due for a rebate is this amount normally correct as I was also requested to submit my docs as on e-filing there was a calc problem and could not do it besides going to a sars office myself. |
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TaxTim says: 14 August 2012 at 14:45 Hi Joey, If your return was filed correctly and you can see on eFiling that it says received, then you have filed properly and no you haven't pushed the wrong button:) If you were requested to submit any supporting documentation then you would have either received an email or an sms requesting this and would be able to see this on your eFiling profile so unless there is something there, that shouldn't be the problem. Do you know if you were due a refund or not? Did you receive an IT34, if the refund wad less than R100 then you would not have received anything as SARS don't pay out for amounts less than R100, but carry them forward to the next year. If there is a letter asking you to send through proof of banking details, this would appear on the top right hand corner and you would see "letters" with a number next to it. Have a look out for that. Otherwise it could just be SARS verifying your details and the payment has been delayed because of that. The only other reason that the refund has not been paid yet could be that your previous returns were not submitted, but if your accountant has previously done this, it shouldn't be a problem. If you are really stuck, then perhaps call the SARS call centre, they should be able to tell you why there has been a delay. Let me know the outcome either way? Regards, Tim |
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TaxTim says: 14 August 2012 at 15:40 Hi Royton, Have you submitted all your previous returns? Which document did you receive that shows the refund amount due in red? There shouldn't be an issue with your refund, it usually takes 2-3 days to appear in your account, red or black even! Regards, Tim |
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TaxTim says: 14 August 2012 at 16:24 Hi Sadeek, The amount should be correct, but sometimes the person assisting doesn't ask all the questions and may have left something else. Have you received an assessment from SARS - an IT34 or ITSA? Regards, Tim |
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Joey says: 16 August 2012 at 9:22 Hi Tim thank you so much for your help. i phoned sars and they said that my return has been assessed and i am in fact due for a rebate but they require my banking details to be confirmed. that is why they have not paid out yet, even though i have checked again and no where on the site or in my email or sms did they let me know. i did go into the sars branch yesterday to give them all my details. Although, the website still says that they havent assessed my return, my mind is a bit more at peace, and hope they will pay out soon :) thanks again |
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Joey says: 16 August 2012 at 13:41 i contacted sars this morning again and they said that my bank account has been loaded but they havent scheduled my payment yet. this could take up to 9 days. thats a bit hectic! dont think i will ever change banks again ever! |
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TaxTim says: 16 August 2012 at 18:35 Hi Joey, I'm sorry to hear that they don't have an automated system that doesn't kick in once the bank details have been loaded. Hopefully the up to 9 days is only 1 or 2 days. Let me know when the refund does get paid, I would be very interested to find out how long it took. Regards, Tim |
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Elize Koularas says: 18 August 2012 at 7:38 Hi Tim The non allowance reason was finally given to me on the 8/08/2012! The reason for the non allowance of the directive from them was that i did not respond to submit supporting documents, but i took all supporting documents to my local SARS branch and they captured it as soon as i received the notification from SARS, the notification was issued on the 24/07/2012 and i submitted the documents on the 26/07/2012 at my local SARS branch! They stated that i should lodge a objection upon receipt of my revised assessment if i am not in agreement with the judgement! Thanx |
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TaxTim says: 18 August 2012 at 16:16 Hi Elize, So have they not taken the directive into account at all? If not you must certainly go ahead a lodge an objection, I find it really alarming that they still refuse to revise the assessment given you have submitted the documents when asked. Please keep me informed of the situation, we are collecting a series of complaints from this Tax Season to present to SARS at year end. Regards, Tim |
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Elize Koularas says: 18 August 2012 at 20:45 Hi Tim No they did not take the directive into account at all as they state that i have not replied to the query made by them, but i have proof that i submitted all documentation within the requested time frame of 21 days and it is on the system at my local SARS branch. I am going to the SARS branch on the 20/08/2012 to lodge an objection. I will keep you informed! Thank you |
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shereen says: 21 August 2012 at 22:48 Hi Tim, I was selected for an audit, now i have misplaced all my documents including my receipts. Will I be able to submit my bank statement showing proof of payment to my doctor as I tried to get another receipt from them but they can't redo it. |
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TaxTim says: 22 August 2012 at 8:44 Hi Shereen, You can use your bank statement as long it shows the correct amount paid as equal to the one you claimed. See if your doctor can even manually draw up an invoice or some note to say this is how much he was owed. It is always best to take submit as much supporting proof as possible. Regards, Tim |
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Doctor says: 29 August 2012 at 13:18 Good Day Tim, I have tow questions, I help people to claim their tax where I work as many of them dont have enough infomation. I just know how to register on efilling and claim returns, most of the workers dont have medical aid, but do a lot of overtime, a lot of them dont get refund, and some do, is there something wrong that i am doing? or it works in a way that if you dont have medical aid you dont get refund? second question, one of the workers has been asked supporting documents does, I have sent them and how long will it take for them to be checked? thanks Tim |
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TaxTim says: 29 August 2012 at 18:36 Hi Doctor, Thanks very much for the question, keep them coming! If I am understanding correctly, most of your colleagues only earn normal salaries and get overtime pay. Taxpayers are allowed to deduct from their income certain expenses, have a look at my blog post on what can be claimed. A refund will also depend on how much tax is paid over to SARS on a monthly basis and how it is calculated. So for instance if too much tax was paid in once month due to overtime then you may get some of it back at year end. I don't think you are doing anything wrong at all. By going through the TaxTim process you can see the type of questions that should be asked of your colleagues so have a try doing that. It can take anywhere from 1 - 90 days for SARS to review documents once asked so unfortunately you will have to be patient. Please let me know if I can help in any way at all! Regards, Tim |
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Doctor says: 30 August 2012 at 16:48 Thank you so Much Tim, I registered on your website and followed all the procedures and i do understand well..great work you do here...Keep up the Good work!! :) |
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TaxTim says: 30 August 2012 at 16:53 Thanks very much Doctor! Always here to assist! |
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Shahil says: 3 September 2012 at 20:27 Hi Tim. Awesome site. best ive seen so far! I have recently done my tax return for 2011 and 2012. The 2011 return shows a negative figure. it says, " Net amount refundable under this assesment after allowable credits -R ???? " What does this mean? The 2012 assesment was sent in for review, i have sent all documents to them for this. Any idea how long this could take? Also, while doing these assesments, i mistakely opened up a 2010 assesment, which keeps popping up on me efilling page saying that its overdue. This is not correct as i dont have any returns for 2010. How do i rectify this? thanks |
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TaxTim says: 3 September 2012 at 21:35 Hi Shahil, Thanks very much! Very happy you're finding our site valuable! To answer your questions: 1. It means you are due a refund and so you should expect some cash! 2. This process can take anywhere from 1 day to 90 days, I am afraid you will have to be patient and hopefully this gets sorted ASAP. 3. Did you submit this return manually or at a SARS branch or via eFiling? I suggest phoning SARS and getting them to remove this, it could delay any refund being paid to you. Please let me know if you have any other questions at all! Regards, Tim |
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Shahil says: 3 September 2012 at 21:47 Thanks Tim I did all the returns via the eFilling website. I will contact them again to query it. the last time I queried it, the said not to worry about it, and that I should just ignore it. I will contact them again, and see what they say this time. Thanks for all the assistance Tim. Awesome site!!! |
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TaxTim says: 3 September 2012 at 21:52 Only a pleasure! |
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nahum says: 5 September 2012 at 16:41 Hi Tim I submitted my 2012 tax return on the 22nd July 2012, i subsequently received a ITA34 stating a refund, also i had to submit suppporting documents. I sent documents through the next day. Upon a number of phone calls to the call center, i eventually received another ITA34 on the 5the September 2012 and ITSA on the same day, both documents stated that i am up for Audit. My Question: It took them 30 days to assess, does that mean that my prescibed audit time starts form the 5th. I have been assessed every year, even when i have a refund below R10 000, there are collegues in my office that is due a refund greater than R20 000 but money was deposited in their account within a week of submission. Is the criterior about the amount due to you or do they just choose randomly, it seems that if you submit via a tax company you receive the money quicker. |
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Mabasa says: 5 September 2012 at 19:47 SARS has release the refund, apperently the bank has frozen my account. What must I do |
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TaxTim says: 6 September 2012 at 1:37 Hi Mabasa, If the bank has frozen your account you need to go into your nearest branch and resolve that issue, only the bank itself will be able to assist you on that. Regards, Tim |
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TaxTim says: 6 September 2012 at 1:53 Hi Nahum, SARS' audits are based either on their being a specific difference between the information that is provided and what they already have on their system or being an entirely random selection. Submitting your return yourself or via a Tax Practitioner does not speed up the process unless that practitioner manages to go sit at SARS and sit with a consultant who is then able to help them directly. It could also be that the practitioner has asked for a case to be escalated, which you can do by phoning the call centre. However SARS still has the right to take the time prescribed. If SARS requires more documentation from you then you will receive a letter asking for this. I assume you did on the 22nd July and then submitted these documents. The ITA34 and ITSA received on the 5th September, was that followed up with a letter requesting even more documents? If not then SARS should be refunding you any amount due within the next few days as it means the assessment has been concluded. The 'selected for audit' on the ITSA could refer to the first request for supporting documentation. In theory though if there was a re-assessment and a further audit being done then this would begin anew on the 5th of September. Let me know if you receive another letter asking for more documents or if you receive your refund? Regards, Tim |
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nahum says: 6 September 2012 at 11:42 Thank You Tim, must commend you on the swift reply and consice and helpful advice and information. I have only received the first letter on the 22nd July and nothing further. I will let you know if there is any change in the status as mentioned regards nahum |
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allister says: 10 September 2012 at 10:47 Hi tim can u pls explain me this sms from SARS. Thank you for filing your 2012 tax return Assessment Result: R0 Account Balance: R642 Selected for Audit: Yes - A detail letter has been sent |
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TaxTim says: 10 September 2012 at 12:22 Hi Allister, What the sms means is that SARS is requesting you to submit supporting documentation. Usually this happens on random selection or because some details that you have submitted does not agree with what they have in their system. So you need to submit all the supporting documents that you used to complete your tax return. You can do this online via eFiling or drop them off at your nearest SARS branch. Go onto your eFiling profile and look for the ITA34 and the letter that has been sent. Regards, Tim |
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Lakki says: 10 September 2012 at 20:08 Hi Tim , I did the calculation on my returns and SARS owe me the money, unfortunately i did a mistake in capturing my 30 character IRP5 certificate number in efiling form and submitted the return. SARS sent me an email stating that i have to submit the supporting documents. I did uploaded the documents at the same time. Later i realized the mistake i did and used the Request Correction button in efiling and captured the deatils again and filed the return. But still they sent me an email with subject as "Operations final demand letter failed" and a pdf letter as same to submit the documents. Again i uploaded the same documents to the site. I am little bit worried now. Now there are two versions in my efiling, one with wrong certificate number, and the second one with correct certificate number and with same details as first version. It is because i submitted wrong certificate number in the first version i am still in audit ??? can i delete the first version of file return submitted which is having a wrong IRP5 certificate number ??? Please advise Thanks Lakki |
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TaxTim says: 11 September 2012 at 9:28 Hi Lakki, Thank you for the question, the good news is you don't need to panic! When you request correction then the new ITR12 tax return is the one that SARS work off, so all the data that you entered correctly will be looked at. It is normal for SARS to request supporting documentation in a situation like this, but they will audit you based on the amended return. If all is in order then you should receive any refund due soon. You don't need to delete the first version! Regards, Tim |
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Lakki says: 11 September 2012 at 18:42 Hi Tim , Thanks for your support, On the latest return filed with correction request the only change i did is the correct certificate number and everything else is same. All figures of my income and others are same in both the returns as per IRP5. I checked the SARS efile page today, In the first page opened Income Tax work Page , the efiling status is "Correction filed" , and SARS status is "Your TAX return has been assessed". "Last Status date:2012/09/11 Your Tax return has been assessed and the notice of Assessment and Statement of Account will be available on your efiling within 24 hours". Does this mean they processed my return and passed or anything else ??? Thanks Lakki |
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TaxTim says: 11 September 2012 at 20:52 Hi Lakki, It seems as if SARS has been quick and assessed your return relatively fast! This is good news! Hopefully any refund will be paid into your account within the next few days. Please let me know! Regards, Tim |
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Lakki says: 12 September 2012 at 17:33 Hi Tim, I did called the SARS call center today to find out the status of my efiling, and the lady there told me that, they have received the documents i sent using Correction request and it will take 30 days to finalize the audit or it can be soon . And also she told that the audit means , compare and match the data I submitted with the data submitted by my employer. But its a bit worrying thing.. Thanks |
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TaxTim says: 12 September 2012 at 19:15 Hi Lakki, I can understand your worry, but SARS are going to compare your corrected IRP5 with the one submitted by your employer so you will be absolutely alright. A recent case took just under a week from audit to refund so it can be a quick process. If at all possible, but it out of your head and think about the things that you could spending with your refund! Regards, Tim |
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roderick says: 13 September 2012 at 0:01 Hi Tim I have submitted my tex returns on 13/09/2012 but was selected for audit, I just want to know how long will this take as they already told me the amount that i will be getting but I want to phone them to ask how long will it take. |
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TaxTim says: 13 September 2012 at 9:30 Hi Roderick, If you have been selected for audit and you have submitted your supporting documents then the turn around time has been quite quick lately of about a week. It can however take longer sometimes, 30 days in some cases, but submit those supporting documents and then unfortunately you just have to be patient. Regards, Tim |
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Rodgers says: 14 September 2012 at 8:56 Hi Tim I have submitted all my returns electronically on Monday and there is an amount that should be refunded to me. Its now Friday of the same week and still no deposit in my bank account. should I be concerned? |
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TaxTim says: 14 September 2012 at 18:14 Hi Rodgers, Have you received any letters requesting you to submit supporting documentation? Go online to eFiling and have a look on your profile to check this? IF you haven't received funds into your account by Tuesday, I suggest phoning SARS to find out what the issue is. It could be that they don't have your bank details or you have outstanding returns from previous years which need to be submitted. This will cause SARS not to pay a refund until all returns have been submitted. Regards, Tim |
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allister says: 14 September 2012 at 19:59 Thanx a lot for your help Tim will see to that!!!! |
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Lakki says: 20 September 2012 at 19:06 Hi Tim , I got the refund back to my account . It took 4 working days to clear the audit and get paid. But now my company did some corrections and issued me a new IRP5 form. And on calculation i found that i am getting R2000 less compared to previous IRP5. But i already got paid frm SARS , and if i file this correction again then i have to pay that R2000 to SARS,. So can i leave this correction done by my company this year as i already got paid from SARS. Please advise. Thanks Lakki |
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TaxTim says: 21 September 2012 at 1:33 Hi Lakki, Your employer would have sent the new IRP5 to SARS and most likely a revised assessment will be issued from their side and you would either have to pay this amount or let it roll to next year. However if you do not pay the extra amount then it could incur interest which can become quite costly. Firstly check with your company whether they have indeed submitted the new form to SARS. However if the new form reflects your correct tax situation then you must make the change or wait for SARS to issued a revised assessment, it would not be okay to ignore it. Regards, Tim |
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Nicholas Buchanan says: 21 September 2012 at 20:45 Hi Tim, I just submitted my tax return and for some reason it says, I owe R2036.29. This is a huge surprise to me! What can I do now? I am almost sure that I shouldn't owe this amount. Please assist! Nic |
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TaxTim says: 21 September 2012 at 21:24 Hi Nicholas, If you disagree with what was submitted then you can either click on the objection button and go through a long process or you can click "request correction" to change the values in case you made a mista |
