At the opening of the 2010 tax season, on Thursday 1 July, SARS Commissioner Oupa Magashula promised this tax season to be simpler and more convenient for tax payers to complete their tax returns.

The Commissioner stated that several changes have been made to the current efiling system, including the following:

•    Electronic signatures – taxpayers who previously had their returns captured electronically at a SARS branch will now be able to able to sign their returns using an electronic signature pad.
•    No printed documents – taxpayers are no longer required to print documents, which leads to a quicker turn around time for a tax return to be completed.
•    No downtime – the commissioner also promised that the efiling system would not experience any “downtime” during this tax season.
•    Adobe Flash Player – the format of efiling has been converted to Adobe Flash player, which will “massively reduce the time taken to request a return or to retrieve a saved return” according to Magashula.

The Commissioner also warns that people who are not complying and submitting their tax returns will be in for some serious surprises. SARS is looking to take drastic measures, such as deducting money from salaries and bank accounts of people who are evading tax.

To avoid any irregular deductions being made on your account, do the right thing and complete your tax return on time. Visit www.sars.gov.za to find out more.

Sources: SAGoodNews; TimesLive; Image Source: SARS efiling