Johannesburg - The next deadline for individual taxpayers to submit their tax returns is looming, after the first one for the annual filing season passed last week.
South African Revenue Service (SARS) statistics showed that two days before the deadline 1 295 filed their returns manually this year, compared to 2 885 during the same time last year.
At the same time more than 2.78 million taxpayers have filed their returns either through the electronic filing system (eFiling) or at a SARS branch office.
The deadline for manual submissions was the last day of September. The annual filing season started in July and ends 31 January next year.
SARS spokesman Luther Lebelo said, despite the uptake of eFiling and electronic branch submissions, there are taxpayers who still choose to submit their returns manually.
"They feel more comfortable completing their returns in the traditional manner. We have found that the majority of these taxpayers usually do not have complex tax affairs and their returns are relatively easy to complete," he said.
The deadline for taxpayers who are not registered as provisional taxpayers is November 27 this year, and provisional taxpayers have until the end of January next year.
Provisional taxpayers are those who receive other forms of income such as rental, interest and investment income or income from business activities.
According to SARS, 5.32 million taxpayers filed their returns during the previous filing season (2014) and 99.91% of the returns were submitted electronically.
SA Institute of Tax Professionals CEO Stiaan Klue said tax practitioners in general report that there is a marked improvement in the attitude of taxpayers in filing their returns on time.
"This is a good sign that ordinary taxpayers are compliant," he said.
SARS received additional income of R436 million in outstanding penalties from taxpayers who submitted late or disclosed incorrect information.
Lebelo advised taxpayers not to wait for the last moment to submit their income tax returns. "Taxpayers are also reminded that late, non-submission or inaccurate information will result in penalties being imposed."
IOL