SARS Audit

[Drifter]

In general, how long do SARS take to complete an audit on your return? They are quering the depreciation I cliamed on a vehicle, and requested a copy of the original purchase agreement, which has been sent to them.

I believe it is a new policy this year that ALL returns that claim depreciation will be submitted to a full audit.

 

[Mbuzi]

21 Working days is the maximum.

 

[Veroland]

I did my return on efiling and after 2 weeks of waiting I phone them yesterday and they told me I'm being audited. It would have been nice of them to let me know about this.

Anyway, the lady said 21 working days is the max but it can be quicker.

 

[Drifter]

I was also hoping sooner.

 

[RichardMuller]

Much longer than 21 days

I was also hoping sooner.

So was I, that was almost a year ago. It took about 3 months of regular phone-ins to find out that they had sent my first audit on for a second/special audit which they can take a year on. I get the feeling that when that year is up, they will ask me for documents which I've probably already submitted, then take 90 days to get back to me on that (90 working days which is about 4.5 months) followed by a request to confirm/dispute something, which will give them another 90 days. They can then throw back something I will have to dispute, which they will have 90 days to evaluate. Teach me for trying to get back PAYE that was overpaid.

 

[Veroland]

Well mine was sorted out eventually without a lot of drama.

One thing that changed is if you have a disabled child the child has to be registered. I lost about 10k worth of expenses because of that. However, I did get back around 30k for the child though

 

[EssieJr]

Well mine was sorted out eventually without a lot of drama.

One thing that changed is if you have a disabled child the child has to be registered. I lost about 10k worth of expenses because of that. However, I did get back around 30k for the child though

Well isn't this just Dandy! I have submitted all the required audit documentation to SARS via e-filing on the 23rd July 2014. I phoned today to find out what the status is and I get told that, from 23-7-14, SARS has a turnaround time of approximately 60 working days to complete the audit.

So I can wait until 15-10-14 before they might conclude their investigation ... and then?

Oh man, I am SO aggitated right now!

 

[Drifter]

Oh no....

 

[Veroland]

Well isn't this just Dandy! I have submitted all the required audit documentation to SARS via e-filing on the 23rd July 2014. I phoned today to find out what the status is and I get told that, from 23-7-14, SARS has a turnaround time of approximately 60 working days to complete the audit.

So I can wait until 15-10-14 before they might conclude their investigation ... and then?

Oh man, I am SO aggitated right now!

Good luck, mine is also taking long again

 

[patumakays]

being audited

its my first time submitting returns and l was told on the 20th of august that l was being audited

l was surprisef because l did not claim for a lot of things ,just the tax on my IRP5.why did sars audit me?

 

[ToxicBunny]

its my first time submitting returns and l was told on the 20th of august that l was being audited

l was surprisef because l did not claim for a lot of things ,just the tax on my IRP5.why did sars audit me?

Because they can.

 

[Bismuth]

Because they can.

Heh, indeed you are right, I was going to say because they are SARS, but your answer it good enough.

What's with all the one-post wonders in this thread?

B

 

[lws]

It took my mother two weeks and two status queries on their system but it finally got sorted out. Oddly, the status on the eFiling site still says: we're received your documents and are going to still process them"

 

[Veroland]

Yes, like they say, it's SARS. I've been waiting a month now

 

[sjm]

into my 3rd month now, they seem really inefficient this year.

 

[Magnum]

Heh, indeed you are right, I was going to say because they are SARS, but your answer it good enough.

What's with all the one-post wonders in this thread?

B

They cant post from jail after the tax evasion charges...

into my 3rd month now, they seem really inefficient this year.

SARS seem to be auditing everyone above certain point. Something seriously wrong.
I am starting to think SARS does not have the funds to pay out TAX returns and is trying to buy time to get TAX revenue from businesses

 

[Drifter]

Friend on mines audit took 3 weeks.

 

[MisterFortySomething]

Just a word of advice to all those being audited: It is almost assured that you will be audited again next year and possibly even the year after that. My wife first got audited a few years back and it happened 3 years in a row. Later on we heard it is pretty standard practice for them.
Apart from returns where something smells fishy, I suspect they also pick some people at random for audits.

 

[grim]

Just a word of advice to all those being audited: It is almost assured that you will be audited again next year and possibly even the year after that. My wife first got audited a few years back and it happened 3 years in a row. Later on we heard it is pretty standard practice for them.
Apart from returns where something smells fishy, I suspect they also pick some people at random for audits.

Was audited two years ago, nothing since.

My income and claims did change quite a lot in that year so I suspect they have some form of system that analyses trends and picks you for an audit if your are x% outside those

 

[HavocXphere]

There are a bunch of criteria that can get you selected, including pure random so no point in guessing.