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Tax season is officially upon us.

From today, individual taxpayers can begin filing their taxes with SARS, and you have until November 23 to do so.

There is no reason to wait that long, and the sooner you get cracking, the sooner you can enjoy the sweet relief that comes with that refund hitting the bank account.

Assuming you’re due a refund. If not, my condolences.

SARS is encouraging all taxpayers to use its online portal, rather than doing so in person at a branch, which is now available by appointment only.

In order to simplify and speed up the process, SARS will be actioning auto assessments. Sure, it’s great when all of the work is done for you, but don’t go barrelling in and accepting the assessment without due diligence.

BusinessTech below:

This means that SARS will automatically complete an assessment based on data received from employers, medical schemes, retirement annuities and other third-party data providers.

Do not be surprised when you find an auto assessment pre-loaded on your profile, ready for you to accept.

While auto assessments are intended to curb non-compliance, the consequences of it could include forfeiting refunds or other forms of tax relief due to you.

I logged in via the eFiling portal and found an auto assessment teed up for me, and I will not be accepting.

For one thing, much of the tax year was spent working from home.

However, I must meet the requirements in the Income Tax Act, and I must meet the burden of proof.

For those who sit at their dining room tables all day, you’re out of luck. Lawyer Elaine Nunez spoke with CapeTalk:

The home office may not be used for any other purpose other than to perform their work duties. There is a misconception that if an employee uses their dining room during the day as a home office that they will qualify.

This is in fact not true. it must be a separate space.

To paraphrase a popular saying, don’t work where you eat.

Ultimately, if you intend to tinker with that auto assessment, or you want to make sure you’ve got all your ducks in a row, it’s a good idea to seek professional advice.

South African tax experts Galbraith | Rushby are on hand to give you peace of mind, because SARS has made it clear that the onus is on the taxpayer to ensure that all the information submitted is complete and correct.

Get something wrong, even when accepting an auto assessment, and you may still be liable for stiff penalties.

In other words, an auto assessment is a convenience, not a free pass.

[sources:bustech&capetalk]