The South African Revenue Service (Sars) has encouraged taxpayers to submit income tax returns via the e-filing or a new MobiApp when the tax season commences on 1 July 2019.

Taxpayers who do not use e-filing or the MobiApp but require assistance from branch staff to file their income tax returns will only be able to do so from 1 August 2019 until 31 October 2019.

“Non-provisional taxpayers who use Sars e-filing and the MobiApp will have a longer period to file their returns, with a deadline of 4 December,” said Sars.

The reason for the staggered approach to tax season 2019 is to encourage taxpayers to use the two digital channels, namely Sars e-filing and the MobiApp, which are available 24/7, offer enhanced features and remove the need to queue at a branch.

The MobiApp for smartphones is downloadable from the Android Play store or App Store and allow taxpayers to register for e-filing, submit a return, upload supporting documents, retrieve their username or reset their password, and view their notice of assessment, among other services.

The staggered approach to tax season 2019, said Sars, is necessary because the agency continues to receive more than a million taxpayers at its branches who do not need to file tax returns.

For e-filers and users of the MobiApp, tax season opens on 1 July and closes on 4 December 2019. Taxpayers who go to a branch to file will be assisted from 1 August until 31 October 2019. Provisional taxpayers have until 31 January 2020 to file via e-filing. — SANews