In September SARS issued a draft guide to claiming Employment Tax Incentive (ETI). This is well worth reading. While ETI is a valuable tool for employers it is also one of the highest risk areas. If an employer makes a mistake then suddenly they can face a big bill for the PAYE they should have paid plus 10% penalties and interest. By the time a bill is received the amount can be significant and has the potential to cause liquidity issues.
The challenge with ETI is that systems (SARS and third party) have had their challenges and employers are sometimes faced with a bill even when they believe they have followed the rules correctly. It is important in these situations for employers to have kept proper records and to have confidence they can defend their claims.