You cannot win against SARS !

[blunomore]

From about 2007 to 2010, we annually request tax clearance certificate from SARS.

It obviously does not get issued if you are behind with taxes.

We received ours each year and ocassionally they would indicate that there was a small amount outstanding, which we would then pay and subsequently get the tax clearance certificate.

This year, upon application, they turn us down because they say we owe them R24 000 in fines and penalties for PAYE payments that were submitted late in 2007 and 2008 - I cannot even remember that far back !!!

When we ask them why they then issued tax clearances in the previous years (2007 to 2010) if these old amounts are outstanding, they say it was "human error" on their side!!!!

So they are allowed human error and we are not??? How ****ing convenient.

#*$^##@%**!!!!!!!

 

[straylight88]

I don't get it... surely all this stuff is on computers? How does a human become responsible for a mistake like that?

 

[Diplos]

They're a bunch of $%#s. I think they might even sell their old debt books to private debt collection agencies.

The bottom line is that there is no such thing as a final 'I've paid all my tax' from SARS - they reserve the right to back however many years and then charge you penalties. This has happened to us too - taxes that you were unaware were outstanding due to a lack of effort on their part to inform us and then stacked up penalties.

I wonder how vigorously they pursue the people in the informal sector?

 

[Celine]

ask them to waive the penalty. but first check in fine detail where these interest and penalties have arisen. there have been problems with the PAYE system and SARS cannot fix it at the moment. my friend is going off her head with her 5 clients trying to get the tax clearance certificates.

 

[blunomore]

ask them to waive the penalty. but first check in fine detail where these interest and penalties have arisen. there have been problems with the PAYE system and SARS cannot fix it at the moment. my friend is going off her head with her 5 clients trying to get the tax clearance certificates.

But if they refuse my tax clearance because of outstanding penalties and interests, why would they waive it for me ?

 

[LazyLion]

We have not gotten a tax clearance certificate for two years cos they say they sent us a book of certificates back in 2006, that we never returned.
But we never received any such book. We have sent letters and affadavits and all kinds of documentation, but they refuse to give us the clearance.

 

[czc]

My company is also having issues getting a tax clearance certificate this year.

 

[Celine]

you must go sit with a consultant and take all the PAYE documentation with you and sort it out detail by detail and the certificate will be issued to you while you are there. if you look as well there is a problem with the UIF and SDL as well go back a few months and you will notice that for the months that you have made payments for and have documented receipts etc the system has recorded that you have not paid. this is a system fault and SARS cannot fix it at the moment. i'm not sure what they are doing right now regarding the PAYE but i know that my friend goes makes an appointment with the consultant and the certificates are issued when she is with the consultant.

 

[blunomore]

i'm not sure what they are doing right now ....

This is how the average taxpayer would describe SARS !

 

[Jola]

You guys clearly don't understand the basic principle here, ie :

SARS is always right, even when they are negligent or dead wrong !

Everybody knows this !

 

[blunomore]

You guys clearly don't understand the basic principle here, ie :

SARS is always right, even when they are negligent or dead wrong !

Everybody knows this !

That is what is so darn infuriating!! The might of government versus the man on the street.

 

[Messugga]

They want me to pay them 13 cents.. Seriously?

Negative. SARS carries amounts smaller than R100 over to the next year, be it a positive or negative balance.

 

[TheHiveMind]

Negative. SARS carries amounts smaller than R100 over to the next year, be it a positive or negative balance.

That makes sense.

 

[The Thug]

Within 24 hours of submitting my e-filing tax return I get an assessment for R 49k in taxes owing, which I know is absolutely bull.

So I fill in an appeal and put the reason down why they had incorrectly calculated the tax amount owing.

You would think they'd be equally as efficient............yeah right, I'm still waiting for a response.

 

[Gnome]

The bottom line is that there is no such thing as a final 'I've paid all my tax' from SARS - they reserve the right to back however many years and then charge you penalties.

Not any amount. SARS has been doing this to my Mom for years. So she's had a good tax lawyer for quite a number of years now. I think they can only go back 5 years (or 3). Point being, if this happens you need to speak to someone who knows tax law.

Don't think because they are a government organization they do things the legal way. They'll try claim taxes back for 20 years ago, regardless of the legality. There are so many "tricks" they have up their sleeve to try squeeze money from you, none legal.

Always keep business records for up to the maximum length allowed. It's probably best to keep them for as long as you can (eg. you have enough space).

 

[Azbubu]

Ice_cubes will disagree with the title of this thread...

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/383961-Positive-or-negative-tax-return