Editor’s Note: For customers using Sage VIP, HRTorQue offers a service to either prepare these on your behalf, or to assist in the preparation.
SARS Moves to New Hosting Platform
As part of its plans to upgrade its Information Technology (IT) systems, SARS will be migrating to a new electronic service hosting platform in April. Taxpayers may experience intermittent downtime from 17h00 on Friday 12 April 2019 to 06h00 on Tuesday 16 April 2019.
The migration will impact the following SARS systems:
- SARS eFiling and SARS eFiling app (including registrations, filing, payment and the functionality to upload supporting documents)
- SARS e@syFile Employer
- SARS website.
Taxpayers can go to any SARS branch or contact the SARS Contact Centre on 080 000 7277 / +2711 602 2093 (during normal operating hours) for assistance during this time.
Please note that SARS eFiling payments cannot be made during the period of downtime, but alternative payment methods will be available.
Employer Filing Season Dates
The employers filing season for tax certificate submissions in respect of the 2018/19 year of assessment normally opens on 1 April and closes on 31 May of each year. Last year, the opening date was delayed to mid-April 2018, and due to the above migration, will this year only open after the migration on 17 April 2019.
It will close on 31 May 2019 as normal.
The SARS PAYE BRS tax certificate specification for February 2019 tax certificates is unchanged from the specification for the August 2018 mid-year tax certificate submissions.