The South African Revenue Service (SARS) can confirm that most of its branch offices will be open on Saturday 15 July 2006, for the submission of the income tax returns. Offices will be open from 08h00 until 12h30.
SARS must emphasise that the deadline for submission of tax returns remains Friday, 14 July 2006. The extension of office hours is purely an operational intervention to allow more time for taxpayers to submit their returns. Tax returns submitted on Saturday will be captured as having been submitted by Friday's deadline. By the close of business today, SARS had received well over two million income tax returns.
SARS is confident that when the final reconciliation of submission figures are completed by next week, it will show an increase of between 12% and 15% compared to returns submitted by last year's deadline.
SARS is very encouraged by the response from taxpayers to this year's Filing Season campaign. SARS is equally proud of the extra ordinary effort from more than fourteen thousand employees who served large numbers of taxpayers with professionalism and distinction.
ENDS
ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICE
PRETORIA