Tuesday, 28 February 2006, marks the end of tax year for individual taxpayers.
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) will be reminding all taxpayers who receive a motor vehicle allowance about the importance of recording the closing kilometre readings on their odometers by the end of the day on Tuesday.
This reading will help taxpayers to accurately fill in their logbooks and to claim more precisely for business travels with their vehicles when it is time to submit their income tax returns later this year. This exercise is necessary to distinguish the proportion for distances travelled for business purposes and for the private use of motor vehicles from the total distance travelled for the 2005/06 tax year.
To further raise public awareness on this issue, SARS officials will again be present at specified street intersections during peak traffic hours to issue pamphlets as a reminder to motorists who benefit from motor vehicle allowances.
Clearly identifiable SARS officials will be present at selected areas in the country's biggest metropolitan areas. The pamphlets will contain key information to taxpayers and motorists on how to record the readings on their odometers. SARS will also provide a standard registration form on the pamphlet.
The deadline to submit Income Tax returns for 2005/06 - normally in early July - will be announced later this year. Given the positive public response to these campaigns during previous year, SARS again looks forward for constructive co-operation from motorists and compliant taxpayers for the campaign.
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ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICE
PRETORIA