16 July 2007
Pretoria - The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is pleased to announce
the posting of the new simpler, shorter tax returns to those individual
taxpayers for whom SARS has a verified address.
Over 2,5 million tax returns have been sent to the South African Post Office
(SAPO) and will be delivered to taxpayers around the country from today. By the
end of July almost four million IT12S and IT12C returns will have been mailed.
The IT12S is the standard income tax return for individuals who earn a salary
with basic allowances such as pension, medical and travel. The IT12C is the
comprehensive return which covers additional sources of income and deductions
including capital gains/losses, business and rental income and farming
income.
The mailed returns are just one way taxpayers can obtain an income tax
return this year. In addition, SARS is also providing Adobe PDF format versions
of all income tax returns via the internet which can be downloaded, completed
on computer, printed, signed and then submitted manually.
Taxpayers can also use eFiling, the quickest, easiest way to receive,
complete and submit a return all electronically via the internet.
Both the Adobe PDF returns and eFiling will be available from August when
filing season starts in earnest. All registered taxpayers are required to
submit returns between 1 August and 31 October 2007.
Over the past two months SARS carried out a matching process of its address
lists against multiple national address databases to ensure correct delivery
and avoid non-delivered and returned mail.
Taxpayers who have not received a return in the mail by 31 August and who
choose not to use the Adobe PDF returns or eFiling should contact the SARS call
centre on 086 012 1218 or their nearest SARS branch.
In May this year, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel announced that this year's
filing season would be later than usual to allow for the introduction of a
range of improvements to the income tax process.
Taxpayers are urged to gather together their IRP5 and all other supporting
documents including medical aid, pension, travel and investment documents in
order to complete their returns.
However, no supporting documents must be submitted with the returns. Instead
taxpayers must retain the documents for five years in case SARS requests
them.
Issued by: South African Revenue Service
16 July 2007
Source: SAPA
