Revenue Service on income tax forms for public comment

9 March 2009

As part of our ongoing consultation process to improve our service, SARS
today released draft versions of all income tax forms for the 2009 Tax Season
for comment and feedback from taxpayers and practitioners.

The forms have been updated and improved as part of the ongoing work to
simplify the income tax process and taking into account feedback received and
lessons learned during Tax Season 2008.

Among the biggest changes are to:
The Income Tax Return Request form (ITRR)

The ITRR now includes the taxpayer’s details from their previous income tax
return. This means that most taxpayers whose tax affairs have not changed since
last year will only have to sign the ITRR and submit it. Taxpayers registered
for eFiling and those who chose to submit a return via a SARS branch do not
have to request an income tax return. eFilers simply create their own return
using a helpful wizard while those submitting via a branch simply arrive at
their nearest branch with their supporting documents and SARS staff will create
and complete a return for them on our system.

The Income Tax Return for Individuals (ITR12)

Improvements to the ITR12 include combining and simplifying the farming and
business income sections, adding additional verification information under
banking details for security purposes and introducing a new medical aid code
(4040) to distinguish between contributions made via an employer (code 4005)
and those contributions not reflected on an IRP5.

The IT12TR, IT12EI and IT14 contain only minor legislative amendments.
SARS would like to encourage practitioners and taxpayers to access the draft
forms and comment via the SARS website at http://www.sars.gov.za by 16:00 on Tuesday 17
March 2009 to help us ensure a smooth, simple and efficient Tax Season
2009.Click here for a direct link to the webpage with the forms and the online
feedback functionality.

SARS would also like to remind taxpayers and practitioners of the timetable
for Tax Season 2009 as announced by the Minister of Finance in February’s
budget. The 60 day Pay As You Earn (PAYE) reconciliation period for employers
will begin on 1 April and end on 30 May and the filing period for individual
income tax returns will follow from 1 July. This year’s deadlines for
submission of income tax returns for individuals and trusts are 18 September
for manual filers and 20 November for electronic submissions. A comprehensive
timetable is published below.

SARS is hoping that Tax Season 2009 will build on the gains of the past two
years which have shown an impressive switch to electronic submission of returns
and the resultant improvements in efficiency for taxpayers, practitioners and
SARS. Over 86 percent of all returns submitted during Tax Season 2008 were done
via either the SARS eFiling system or electronically at our branches. A more
comprehensive analysis of the achievements of Tax Season 2008 is available on
the SARS website under “Tax Season 2008.”

For more information contact:
Adrian Lackay
Tel: 012 422 4206
Cell: 083 388 2580

Issued by: South African Revenue Service
9 March 2009
Source: South African Revenue Service (http://www.sars.gov.za)