This is the first article in our series to help you fill in your income tax return, written by Christo Henning, media liaison officer at SA Revenue Services.
You must make sure your income tax return is in before June 30, 1997. If you cannot meet the deadline, you must apply in writing to the Receiver of Revenue to whom you send your return, for an extension.
If there is insufficient space for any item on the return, a separate statement, giving the required details, must be attached to the return.
If you received an IT12S, you must complete and submit it, even if you do not earn more than R50 000 a year.
This week we look at Part 1 of the return. It is important to take care completing it because if you make a mistake or fail to complete any part of this section, it could lead to serious delays in assessing your tax return.
Only the white areas must be completed and not the shaded areas, and only in cases where the information in the shaded area is wrong or absent.
Currently IT12S are only issued in English, Afrikaans or Zulu but the taxman is planning to make forms available on request in each of the 11 official languages.
Points 1.1 to 1.12
are straightforward.
Points 1.13 to 1.14
must be completed if you are registered for PAYE (ie if you are an employee and you have a PAYE number which starts with a 7) or VAT (ie if you are a VAT vendor and have a VAT number which starts with a 4) or both.
Point 1.15
is probably the most important part of the return. The bank particulars are needed so the taxman can transfer refunds directly into your bank account as soon as the assessment is complete. This eliminates postal delays and cheques being stolen or lost.
Refunds not subject to audit (less than R5 000) will reach the individual before the assessment does!
The taxman does not have the right to look into any bank account unless there is an investigation and permission has been granted by a local magistrate.
Point 1.16
deals with the magisterial district in which you live. This is not necessarily the same as the regional Receiver's office. If the taxman has to undertake an investigation and needs a magistrate's permission for a certain action, he needs to know where your nearest magistrates' office is.
Point 1.17:
All returns must be signed and dated otherwise the return is not valid.