Tax season is different this year huh?
SARS is well aware of the changes that came into effect in the blink of an eye since South Africa officially went on lockdown in March 2020. Some unfortunately lost their jobs, some relocated and some were working from home; no matter how your job situation changed, be aware of your tax rights in your specific situation:
1. If you were working from home, you may claim certain expenses that you incurred directly in the production of income (salary). For example, you may not claim groceries because those are not directly connected but you may claim a computer monitor you bought in order to work. Very important, you must be able to prove these expenses! You may be asked for invoices, contracts, pictures, etc. to prove your expenditure. Worst case scenario, SARS may request to come on site and physically inspect the premises.
2. If you did receive an auto-assessment, you have a right to decline should you believe not all relevant data was taken into account.
3. Waiting period for a response is 21 business days, should you not receive correspondence within that time period about a dispute, you may contact SARS again or lay a complaint.
With rights, come responsibilities, these responsibilities
include:
1. Declare all income you received for the tax period, whether on a contractual or once-off basis as a casual worker (for example).
2. Keep all documentation that affects your taxes for at least five years.
3. Let SARS know of any changes in your personal details (address, banking details, etc.)
With that being said, we wish you all a happy filing season!
Please be aware that the individual filing season closes in November 2021, but don’t
wait for the last minute, let us help you at MAS.