As we run a number of payrolls and submit returns for clients, we monitor the EMP201 profile closely for any audit letters SARS issue.
In the past month or so it has come to our attention that SARS has started issuing audit letters on companies’ EMP501 profiles instead of the EMP201 profile as they have done in the past. This in itself is not a major problem because usually SARS would send an email notification to the representative responsible for the profile and the public officer so the company could then go into the profile and find out more about what SARS is looking for.
The problem is that when we started noticing the letters on the EMP501 profile we tried to track the email notifications that were supposedly sent out to various parties and we cannot find them anywhere.
Ironically, post raising the issue with SARS our EMP201 profiles have now been inundated by notifications on historic audit requests, almost as if somebody at SARS has noticed an error on their servers and flicked the switch to release the notifications.
The problem for the taxpayer is that because the issue is post-dated and they have been issued with a failure to respond notice, the matter is closed, and it is far harder for a taxpayer to submit the required documents because they can no longer do this on efiling or e@syfile.
If you are experiencing a similar issue and need assistance contact us on [email protected].