Legal and Policy - 14 September 2023

Legal and Policy - 14 September 2023

SARS:

• 13 September 2023 – Achieving our Vision 2024 of a smart, modern SARS with unquestionable integrity that is trusted and admired is of paramount importance. Pivotal to the delivery of our vision are our digital platforms & technology infrastructure. To provide clarity & certainty, make it easy for taxpayers & traders to comply with their obligations and building public trust and confidence, our technology assets have to demonstrate the highest levels of availability, robustness and security.

In accordance with our Vision and Strategic Objectives, which include modernising our systems to provide Digital and Streamlined online services, we are hard at work ensuring that our digital platforms & technology infrastructure are available, robust & secure, by performing regular upgrades, enhancements, and maintenance.

Considering the above, SARS Digital platform upgrades are scheduled for Friday, 15 September 2023 from 18:00 to 23:00.

During this time, you may experience intermittent service interruption on our eFiling Platform.

Customs Digital Platform will not be available during this time.

Responses (CUSRES messages) to transactions submitted during this time will be delayed, however arrival and exit management functions are available at land border posts for all released declarations and manifests.

Stakeholders are therefore urged to submit priority Goods Declarations (bills of entry) and Road Manifest by Friday, 15 September 2023 at 17:00.

• 12 September 2023 – The mobile tax unit schedules for Northern Cape and Free State during October and November are now available.
• 12 September 2023 – The updated Tender Bids received document is now available.
• 12 September 2023 – We invite you to join this webinar on 14 September 2023 on Customs Automation of Refunds and Drawbacks.

Pursuant to our strategic objectives to modernise our systems to provide digital and streamlined online services, as well as make it simple for taxpayers and traders to meet their tax obligations, this webinar aims to assist traders to log into the system on eFilling and how the new Refunds and Drawbacks System will work.

As an important stakeholder, we invite you to join this webinar and to extend this invitation to other interested parties.

Details of the event:

Theme: Automation of Refunds and Drawbacks

• Date: Thursday, 14 September 2023

• Time: 17:00 – 19:00

• Platforms: Zoom and YouTube

• Register in advance for this webinar on the following link: https://sars-gov-za.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HzSB9kYhQmmXJ-EVrueJVQ

• Meeting ID: 924 0396 1971

• Passcode: 824287

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to log onto the webinar. The webinar will be recorded and posted on the SARS TV channel on YouTube after the event

YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/ou_F8-xHWMg?feature=share

To view the presentation click here.

• 12 September 2023 – The Tax Directives specification was updated from version 6.504 to 6.505. The updated IBIR-006 Tax Directives Interface Specification Version 6.505 specifies the additional validation change to be implemented on 15 September 2023.

The additional validation change is in respect of asylum seekers and refugees relating to the permit number. You are encouraged to implement the validation change as soon as possible.

Please feel free to join us for a MS Teams Meeting on 15 September 2023 at 10:00 to discuss the validation, for the meeting details see the I want a Tax Directive webpage.

Please follow these steps to submit test files if you need to test this validation change:

Step 1: Before testing can commence, you will need to email 10 taxpayer reference numbers to ncts@sars.gov.za to ensure the numbers are active. In the email subject line, use “Tax reference numbers for Trade Testing”. A maximum of 10 taxpayer reference numbers will be allowed.

Step 2: You will be notified via the same email address to confirm when testing may commence.

For trade testing queries please email ncts@sars.gov.za.

• 11 September 2023 – Tender bids received.

The updated tender bids received document is now available.

• 11 September 2023 – The September 2023 Tax-Exempt Institutions Connect newsletter is now available.

• 11 September 2023 – Income Tax Act, 1962: Average Exchange Rates

• Table A – A list of the average exchange rates of selected currencies for a year of assessment as from December 2003

• Table B – A list of the monthly average exchange rates to assist a person whose year of assessment is shorter or longer than 12 months

• 8 September 2023 – Tender bids received.

The updated tender bids received document is now available.

• 8 September 2023 – RFP15/2023: Appointment of a service provider for the provision of events management services for ATAF and BRICS events

Additional documents have been published:

• Annexure B – Personal Information Processing Addendum

• Draft Services Agreement for ATAF and BRICS 2023

• ERRATUM – SARS Main RFP document v2023.02

• 8 September 2023 – SARS has published a Discussion Paper on VAT Modernisation. This is in pursuit of its strategic objective of modernising its systems to provide digital and streamlined online services and making it easy for taxpayers to comply with their obligations. This discussion paper sets out the high-level vision for the modernisation of the South African Value-Added Tax (VAT) administrative framework.

The intention of publishing the discussion paper is to invite businesses (vendors), accounting system software developers or suppliers, technology entities, recognised controlling bodies, public finance entities, municipal finance entities and the public to submit contributions, and comments, as part of a consultative process to modernise the VAT administrative framework.

See the paper here – Discussion Paper on Value-Added Tax Modernisation.

Comments may be submitted by close of business on 31 October 2023 to policycomments@sars.gov.za.

• 7 September 2023 – RFP29/2023: Appointment of a service provider for the provision of regulatory compliance management software tool

The following documents are now available:

• Questions and answers no 3

• Final Technical Evaluation Criteria

• 7 September 2023 – RFP13/2023: Appointment of suppliers for supply and delivery of inverters, lithium-ion batteries and solar panels (Alternative energy equipment) for the period of three (3) years

Erratum notice:

With reference to section 6.2.3 page of RFP13_2023_ 1-1 SARS Main RFP document, which states:” SARS may issue updated versions of documents issued in the RFP pack and/or may issue additional documentation to form part of the RFP pack. Such reissued or additional documentation will be published on the National Treasury e-Tender Portal and SARS website. It is a bidder’s responsibility to visit the National Treasury e-Tender Portal and SARS website at regular intervals to ensure that a bidder uses the latest versions of documents in the RFP pack. “Bidders are requested to note that:

• A new document is loaded for them to upload, referred to as RFP13_2023_1-2 “Annexure A_ Business Requirements Specification Revised”. The document indicates number of offices to receive required inverters, batteries and Solar Panels for all regions. The calculation on how the required invertors per region merges the quantities on pricing template is provided.

• RFP13_2023_3-1 Annexure Pricing Template: Remain the same with no changes.

• Closing date remain : 13 September 2023 @ 11h00 am.

• 7 September 2023 – With reference to our previous communication, enhancements to the Tax Directives system will be made in line with the IBIR-006 Tax Directives Interface Specification Version 6.504. In support of this we have a planned enhancement to the Tax Directives system scheduled for Friday, 15 September 2023.

Kindly note that no Tax Directives files on the current production form version should be submitted after 16:00 on 15 September 2023. Tax Directives files using the new form version sent after 16:00 on 15 September 2023 will be queued and will be processed after the completion of the system upgrade.

• 7 September 2023 – Be on the alert for a fraudulent email talking about credit audit.

Please do not click on the phishing link, if in doubt, email phishing@sars.gov.za.

Keep an eye on our Scams examples webpage.

NATIONAL TREASURY:

• Media Advisory: Medium Term Budget Policy Statement Date – 11 September 2023
• Media Advisory: Public Financial Management (PFM) Conference – 7 September 2023

OECD:

• Countries deploy tax policy to shield households and businesses from decade-high inflation – 12 September 2023

ATAF:

• Digital Transformation Takes Centre Stage at the 2nd NTO Conference – 11 September 2023
• Outcome Statement: Network of the Tax Organisations Technical Conference – 11 September 2023