With the 2020 tax season in full swing, the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) is taking concrete steps to create awareness about its services and protect the rights of taxpayers this filing season.
It has launched informative digital awareness campaign christened #TaxpayersRightsMatter.
Its CEO, Thabo Legwaila, said the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will likely cause the South African Revenue Service (SARS) to be robust with its collection measures
“We understand the economic challenges faced by individual taxpayers and businesses, and we are here to ensure that tax compliance is not an additional problem or drawback for taxpayers,” said Legwaila.
“Taxpayers should continue to be treated fairly and justly, to ease their compliance burden.
“Tax collection is under pressure, but it should continue to be carried out in an administratively fair manner, with correct and legislated procedures followed, and the service provided in interactions with taxpayers by SARS should not deserve reprehension.”
He continued: “We urge and support tax compliance, and the objective of the OTO is to ensure that taxpayers’ rights are not trampled on by the revenue collector.”
For taxpayers who didn’t receive an auto-assessment, tax filing season got under way at the beginning of the month. Those who file online using e-filing have until November 16 to submit their returns.
Other taxpayers who cannot file electronically can visit the taxman’s branches with an appointment until October 22.
Provisional taxpayers who file electronically have until January 29 2021 to submit.
It is important to note that the income you should declare on your return is for March 1 2019 to February 29 2020.
