Cape Town - It is not exactly like Christmas or its extended shopping hours, but the South African Revenue Service (Sars) has nonetheless given time-pressed taxpayers a little gift in the form of an extra day or two on which to file their tax returns.
Sars said in a statement released on Thursday that certain Sars branches would be extending working days to Saturdays for the next two weekends, 12 and 19 November, in advance of the November 25 tax season deadline for non-provisional taxpayers.
With an expected increase in the number of taxpayers filing income tax returns, Sars said those branches opening on Saturdays during this period would be focusing exclusively on assisting taxpayers with the completion of their income tax returns.
Taxpayers were advised that branches would operate during normal hours on weekdays.
Many readers will be able to smugly skim over this report since, according to Sars, it had already received more than 4.7 million income tax returns.
As the deadline approaches, taxpayers were encouraged to use Sars eFiling to submit their tax returns.
Sars said this was the quickest and easiest way to submit a return (except for paying someone else to do it for you) and was available 24 hours. To register, visit www.sarsefiling.gov.za or visit www.sars.gov.za for more information.
The branches that will operate on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm are: Alberton, Edenvale, Randburg, Rissik Street, Soweto (Orlando East), Vereeniging, Nelspruit, Witbank, Pretoria North, Rustenburg, Durban, Mthatha, Richards Bay, Pietermaritzburg, Port Elizabeth, Bellville and Mitchells Plain.
AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY