From today you can start to calculate how much tax you will pay or get back for the 1996 and 1997 tax years on a simple form designed by accounting firm Coopers & Lybrand and made available on their Website.
The interactive service is free and your details will remain confidential. Although you fill in the form while you are logged on to the Coopers & Lybrand page so that it can make calculations and give you help, the information you put in is only read by your own computer.
According to Mike Wright, senior manager, Computer Assurance Services at Coopers & Lybrand, the form is designed to be as simple and user-friendly as possible. It is aimed at the average taxpayer earning an income and possibly with a car and entertainment allowance.
There are two ways to access the service, called "E-Taxman". One is through Woza, a news site updated several times a day. You will find it at www.woza.co.za; or directly through the Coopers & Lybrand page, at www.za.coopers.com/e-taxman. Or you can go there from the Personal Finance site at http://www.inc.co.za
You'll need a browser which supports Java script, eg Netscape 2.0 or higher.