POLOKWANE – The annual tax season is expected to start on July 1 and the South African Revenue Service (Sars) has annouced a shorter time frame for tax payers to submit their returns.

SARS confirmed the filing dates for the 2022 tax season, with non-provisional individual taxpayers given between July 1 to October 24, which is a month less than last year’s season and provisional taxpayers given between July 1 to January 23, 2023.

Starting in July, Sars said they will be assessing a significant number of taxpayers automatically.

If you accept the outcome you do not have to file a tax return at all or even accept the assessment.

Sars said they auto-assess based on data received from employers, financial institutions, medical schemes, retirement annuity fund administrators and other third party data providers and for the first time this year, are allowing filers to the view third-party data certificates submitted by third party data providers on your behalf.

If you are not in agreement with the assessment, you can access your tax return via eFiling or SARS MobiApp, complete the return, and file it.  This must be done within 40 business days from the date that your assessment was issued to you.

Filing your tax returns is easy if you have all the correct supporting documents.

Here is what you will need:

• IRP5/IT3(a) certificate(s) from your employer or pension fund
• IT3(b) certificates for investment returns
• Financial statements, if applicable e.g. business income
• Medical aid contribution certificates and receipts
• ​Retirement annuity fund certificates
• Certificates you received for local interest income earned
• Logbook and other documents in support of business travel expenses
• Completed confirmation of diagnosis of disability form (ITR-DD), if applicable
• Any other relevant income and deduction information.
• Bank account details

Remember, if you’re filing at a SARS branch, you have to bring all the documents applicable to you, plus original proof of identity (ID, temporary ID, passport or driver’s licence).

It is also important to check your IRP5 and verify if all the information is correct before attempting to submit your return. If you notice any errors which might need to be corrected, you have to advise your employer for them to rectify it.