The South African Revenue Service 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 and will be delivered to taxpayers around the country from today. By the end of July almost 4 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 0860 12 12 18 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.
ENDS
ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICE
PRETORIA