It’s tax season, which means it’s time to knuckle down and file your tax returns.

Last year came with a certain degree of chaos, which has inspired SARS to make some changes to how they do business.

This means two important things. First, filing taxes and receiving returns should, in theory, be more efficient and effective.

Secondly, the revenue service is cracking down on those who try to cheat the system or fail to file their taxes.

According to BusinessTech, SARS will be focusing on the following non-compliance trends:

• SARS said it will step up its enforcement of penalties for outstanding and late returns.
• SARS will be collabrating with the Deeds Office to identify and penalise people who fail to declare rental income.
• SARS said it will also renew its focus on monitoring income and expenses from commission earners
• They will also be coming down hard on tax preparers who doctor the numbers in their clients books.
• SARS said it wants to improve the integrity of its profiling capability using ‘sophisticated risk modeling’ and expanding its data set.
• The tax agency said that it is working both the SAPS as well as the NPA to criminally prosecute fraudsters, with a number already successfully convicted for non-compliance. “We have also successfully convicted some of our own staff for colluding with taxpayers,” it said.

Hardcore. If they’re that happy about having sent their own people to jail, I don’t like the odds for the average non-complying citizen.

To make tax compliance easier, SARS has also upped their tech game. Fin24 reports that,

“In a major departure from previous years, to improve service to taxpayers and encourage conversion to online filing, Tax Season 2019 is staggered,” it announced.

This allows taxpayers who use SARS eFiling and the SARS MobiApp for smartphones and tablets to file their income tax returns from July 1 until December 4, 2019. Taxpayers who wish to use online filing for the first time may also register as from July 1.

The app will allow you to register for eFiling, retrieve usernames and passwords, upload documents using your device’s camera, and make tax calculations.

Taxpayers who want to file hardcopy tax returns at a SARS branch may do so from August 1 until October 31. This is a much shorter period than that allowed for users of eFiling and the app.

Or, if you want to ensure you avoid all SARS-related headaches altogether, you could just hand all of this over to an expert.

Galbraith | Rushby offer professional tax compliance and advisory services to individuals and businesses.

Seth’s been letting them run the numbers for years now, and it’s one less thing to worry about whilst living the holiday. Let them take care of everything, while you enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re a good upstanding citizen.

Hopefully with a tax return on the way, too – bonus.

[sources:businesstech&fin24]