The South African Revenue Service’s (SARS’s) digital channels continue to gain traction, with the taxman already recording over 16 million digital exchanges with taxpayers this filing season.
The exchanges were recorded via various self-service platforms, namely SARS eFiling, MobiApp, Lwazi chatbot, Help-You-eFile, SARS online query system, USSD, social media and the newly-launched WhatsApp line (0800 11 77), said commissioner Edward Kieswetter.
The revenue service officially kicked-off the 2024 filing tax season at the start of the week, following a two-week period of auto assessments.
Briefing media yesterday, Kieswetter said the use of the digital platforms has minimised the need for taxpayers to visit or call SARS offices.
In the first 14 days, over five million taxpayers experienced the SARS auto assessment, with 99.13% of them accepting the outcome without making any changes, he said.
Resultantly, SARS has already refunded about R10 billion to 1.6 million auto-assessed taxpayers.
Kieswetter stated: “In line with our strategic intent of developing a tax and customs system that is based on voluntary compliance, through the synthesis of people, data and technology, we continue to modernise our systems.
“We are continuing to work to provide a seamless, empowering and enabling taxpayer experience, where tax eventually just happens for the millions of South Africans. We are deliberate in making the filing season a non-event.”
According to the commissioner, SARS harvested nearly 150 million third-party data records this year, serving as the building block of the filing season.
SARS processes the volume of big data through the application of artificial intelligence and enhanced machine learning algorithms, which enables it to automatically assess a larger number of taxpayers, pre-populate more returns, improve the integrity of taxpayer declarations and simplify the taxpayer experience.
After the opening of filing season on Monday, Kieswetter said 191 000 returns were filed, with 183 000 (9%) filed digitally through eFiling and MobiApp, while 7 700 (3%) were filed through the taxpayer service centres.
In addition, SARS continues to expand its offering of self-service educational content through its YouTube channel and website, to provide informative and easily accessible customised clarity to taxpayers.
“We have seen some one million users interacting with this content over the past two weeks, thereby fulfilling our strategic objective of providing certainty and clarity to taxpayers.
“Despite the availability of digital platforms, SARS has also readied our taxpayer service centres and service consultants to serve taxpayers who require assistance in complying with their obligations through any of its available service channels – telephonic engagements, virtual or in-person appointments, self-service terminals at SARS offices and mobile tax units deployed in designated communities and outlying areas,” he said.
Kieswetter concluded by warning taxpayers of scams that are on the rise, urging them to be extra-vigilant and access the SARS website to verify the authenticity of information.
“SARS will never ask taxpayers to give their banking or credit cards details, nor does it operate any links that ask taxpayers to log in their details into a hyperlink.”
Tax filing season will run until 21 October 2024 and 20 January 2025 for non-provisional and provisional taxpayers, respectively.
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