SARS e-Filing is a process developed by SARS for the submission of monthly returns, declarations and payments. SARS e-Filing for Payroll Administrators has greatly eased the monthly SARS returns and payments. In a payroll services environment eFiling allows the payroll administrator to upload and balance the August submission and also tax year-end Tax Certificates (IRP5’s and IT3a’s). Payments can also be made to SARS.
These are the links to SARS and SARS e-Filing:
www.sarsefiling.co.za and www.sars.gov.za
The SARS e-Filing together with EasyFile allows the Payroll Administrator to upload Tax Certificates, balance bi-annual Tax & Annual Submissions. Employers can register employees as tax payers and can obtain tax numbers for these employees. Please note that should an employee already be registered with SARS, the tax number needs to be obtained from the employee.
Using EasyFile, one can use the synchronisation option. This will pull down any correspondence from SARS e.g. AA88 employee deduction forms, tax numbers, SARS statement of account (EMPSA). Any discrepancies on the SARS submissions for August and Tax Year end will also be downloaded. EasyFile should be synchronised regularly to ensure that the employer is kept up to date with changes or corrections that SARS requires.
Payments of payroll taxes are made via a credit push from the employer’s bank account. The credit push means that the employer is responsible for the actual authorisation of the payment. This has recently been introduced. In the past the debit pull option was used – this meant that SARS, on instruction from the employer would debit the bank account on a given day (usually the 7th of the month or the day closest if there was a week-end).
SARS e-filing has certainly made the payroll administrator’s job a lot easier. It allows for ease of balancing the monthly tax, SDL and UIF. It allows one to pull off a statement of account at any time. In short, the Tax Year process has been greatly enhanced with SARS-eFiling.
