Tax returns 'gaining momentum'
Zibonile Ntuli
30 June 2005
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel says this year's tax return filing season is gaining momentum, with over 1.2-million people having complied so far before the 8 July deadline.
Manuel visited the South African Revenue Service (SARS) offices in both Pretoria and Johannesburg on Wednesday in a campaign to encourage citizens to submit their tax returns early.
He was impressed that a small Pretoria office was receiving about 150 tax returns an hour, saying people had become aware and conscious of the law.
The Pretoria office was filled to capacity with many people queuing to submit while others were applying for tax clearance certificates, which proved compliance.
SARS has provided more staff to help those who do not know how to fill in their forms to ensure that people do not stand in queues for a long time.
While in Pretoria, the minister spoke to a group of entrepreneurs running a public telephone business nearby. He said they were
shocked to discover that they had to comply with tax requirements.
At the Johannesburg office, where he submitted his own tax return, Manuel said he was impressed by the enthusiasm shown by people there.
"The filing of tax returns is gaining momentum; over a week or so we will continue to hit the drum. There is now higher consciousness that people have to pay tax.
"In this year's campaign there is a change of pattern. People are the ones coming forward, people really want to be part of the system. We hope that later this week we will have a better feel," Manuel said.
He explained that the "big transformation" in filing tax returns started in 1999 and growth had since been phenomenal.
"People now have a sense that tax compliance is something they have to fight for so that they can run their businesses peacefully," he said.
He said another category that needed some attention were independent contractors. He explained that they were not just
labourers, but people who were employing others.
"These people have enormous difficulty; for years they thought they were not meant to comply," he said. "Labour brokers have been placed in all SARS offices to help them," he said.
There are about 4-million taxpayers in the country. Last year SARS recieved an additional 240 000 returns.
Source BuaNews
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