Senior citizens and those not tech-savvy struggle to navigate Sars e-filing, leaving many frustrated and penalised despite willingness to comply.
Government departments and parastatals do not care about the illiterate and the elderly.
After the tax filing season opened, I have watched in dismay as senior citizens, the illiterate and those who are not good with technology, struggle to file their returns.
Many people I interacted with have struggled to file their returns electronically.
Their problems were different as someone who was using their cellphone as they complained about the SA Revenue Service (Sars) App, which they said was not user-friendly.
Helping them, I realised there was nothing wrong with the App, but most of them didn’t follow the instructions, while others could not understand English.
One was a colleague in his early 60s. He is a professional, educated and has mentored many young people. He is highly skilled, but his skill did not work when it comes to Sars e-filing.
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His nightmare started when he received a message informing him he owed Sars more than R50 000.
As a law-abiding citizen, he was more than willing to make arrangements on how he is going to pay the money, but I have witnessed him struggling to do that.
The way Sars operates made it difficult for him and others. He battled for almost two weeks, starting by phoning them to explain his situation and managing to get an appointment. He was happy thinking that he would go to the branch near his home.
He was wrong; the appointment meant a consultant would phone and give him instructions on how to file the returns online. He prepared the necessary documents and took a cup of coffee before his nightmare started.
At approximately midday, the official telephoned him. They spoke for almost an hour, but they did not understand each other.
I’m not sure if the instructions were wrongly delivered or if he was struggling to use the e-filing tools.
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When he asked to visit the branch to get assistance, the consultant scheduled another phone appointment.
The next day, the struggle continued, and they adjourned again. I’m not sure whether he eventually filed the tax return, but what I can attest to is that he was irritated and frustrated.
The process appeared to be a set up so some people keep on failing to file and the penalty fee keeps on ballooning.
Last year, when I went to renew my driver’s licence, I witnessed the same thing as a man in his late 60s was struggling to use his smartphone to get a slot to renew his driver’s licence.
He was making a living by using his van to sell fruits and vegetables.
He went to the nearest traffic department, based in Daveyton, Ekurhuleni, but was turned away because he did not book a slot. There were no clients and the employees were not busy.
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The same thing happened when the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) closed its pay points in the rural areas.
Many pensioners suffered because they now had to use ATMs to access their money, while at the pay points there were people to assist them. Most of them did not know how to use ATMs.
The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa tried in vain to convince the government to gradually undertake the process to accommodate everyone.
Much as we appreciate innovation, we must not leave those who are negatively affected behind.
If only Sars had allowed the old man to visit the branch and Sassa had thought of the illiterate senior citizens before closing the pay points.
I commend our government for being innovative, but when implementing those changes, our leaders must find a way of accommodating those who struggle to adapt, because they are part of the community.
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