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SARS has launched a new WhatsApp channel for taxpayers to access information on their tax refunds and other tax-related queries more quickly.
The channel is specifically for tax queries related to personal income tax, the service said, and is available on both the mobile and desktop versions of WhatsApp.
To access the service on mobile, taxpayers will have to save the SARS WhatsApp number 0800 11 7277 in their contact list.
On desktop, taxpayers can use this link and follow the prompts.
To initiate an interaction, taxpayers should simply text a greeting i.e., “Hi” or “Hello” and SARS will respond with a description of the service offerings and a service request menu.
To authenticate you successfully, you will need to WhatsApp SARS from a mobile device number registered on the SARS systems.
The following services are available:
With the addition of a WhatsApp channel for communication and information, SARS is making good on its promise to lean into newer technologies to make tax compliance easier for taxpayers.
However, the launch does come with a degree of irony: The service has taken a few steps backwards when it comes to dealing with older tax filings, like tax returns that need to be regularised from more than five years ago.
Tax practitioners have flagged a ‘last minute’ change from SARS where the tax service is disallowing tax filings older than 5 years through e-filing and its digital platforms.
Any taxpayer who has outstanding tax returns older than five years will have to book an appointment with SARS to sort it out in-branch.
According to Tax Consulting SA, as well as other tax practitioners who have been hit with the alert from SARS, this makes very little sense and seems like an arbitrary impediment to tax regularisation.
The revenue service has not explained why it made the change or returned a request for comment on the flip.
The tax experts have noted that it is likely to lead to backlogs in an already delayed system, adding that it takes weeks, if not months, to book an appointment.
“The backlog is evidenced by the SARS booking system, where the earliest available appointments are around August, a full month away,” Tax Consulting said.
However, for those taxpayers who are up to date with their tax affairs, the new WhatsApp channel will prove to be an easier path for information, especially that related to tax refunds.
It should also ease the burden on the SARS call centres, which were inundated this past week with the rollout of auto assessments and related queries.
SARS urged taxpayers concerned about their auto assessment status to be patient with process—which is still rolling out and will be until 14 July—and to keep updated online.
Taxpayers can check to see if they are in the auto-assessment population this year by checking their status on the SARS Online Query System (SOQS).
“Even though SOQS may indicate that you are part of the auto-assessment population, the auto-assessment (ITA34) will only be available on eFiling when it’s rolled out according to the schedule,” SARS said.
Written by: goldfmc1
Copyright GoldFM