Legal and Policy - 26 September 2024

SARS

19 September 2024 – Customs and Excise Act, 1964

• Draft Amendment to Part 1 of Schedule No. 1 – Insertion of Additional Notes 2 and 3, and insertion of tariff subheadings 3004.90.20 and 3004.90.30

Due date for comment: 4 October 2024

• 19 September 2024 – Customs and Excise Act, 1964: The tariff amendments notices, scheduled for publication in the Government Gazette, relate to the amendments to –

• Part 1 of Schedule No. 1, by the substitution of tariff subheading 8404.90 and the insertion of tariff subheadings 8404.90.10 and 8404.90.90 in order to increase the general rate of customs duty on plate-type heat exchange elements for air pre-heaters from free of duty to 5% (ITAC Report 718); and
• Part 1 of Schedule No. 1, by the substitution of tariff subheading 2833.25 in order to increase the general rate of customs duty on sulphates; alums; peroxosulphates (persulphates) of copper from free of duty to 10% (ITAC Report 675).

Publication details will be made available later

• 20 September 2024 – Customs and Excise Act, 1964: Publication details for tariff amendments notices R5216, and R5217, as published in Government Gazette 51264 of 20 September 2024, are now available.

• 20 September 2024 – The latest Tax Practitioner Connect Newsletter Issue 56 is available. In this month’s edition of Tax Practitioner Connect, we share information on various tax matters that may be relevant to you, including the criteria for extension of the period for lodging and objection or appeal; the two-pot retirement system that came into effect on 1 September; verification turn-around times and the prescribed limit for retirement contributions within a 12-month period.

• 23 September 2024 – In this month’s edition of Government Connect, we share information on various tax matters that may be relevant to you, including the criteria for extension of the period for lodging and objection or appeal; the two-pot retirement system that came into effect on 1 September; verification turn-around times and the prescribed limit for retirement contributions within a 12-month period. We also remind government institutions that VAT Recovery Consultants must not be contracted if the contracting or payment of the services is based on the payment of contingency fees or a percentage of the refund. See the Government Connect Newsletter here.

• 25 September 2024 – Income Tax Act, 1962

• Table 3 – Rates at which interest-free or low interest loans are subject to income tax

• 25 September 2024 – The state provides state warehouses for the safekeeping of goods. These are managed by Customs. The purpose of this list of unentered goods is to notify the importer, exporter and any other person that has interest in the goods that the goods have been taken up into the State warehouse and if they remain unentered they will be disposed in accordance with the provisions of the Customs & Excise Act.

See the latest Customs Weekly List of Unentered Goods here.

• 25 September 2024 – 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 and technology infrastructure. To provide clarity and certainty, make it easy for taxpayers and traders to comply with their obligations and building public trust and confidence, our technology assets must 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 and technology infrastructure are available, robust, and secure, by performing regular upgrades, enhancements, and maintenance.

Considering the above, SARS Digital platform upgrades are scheduled for Friday, 27 September 2024 from 18h00 to 23h00.

During this time, you may experience intermittent service interruption on our eFiling, Tax and Customs Digital Platforms.

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 all Goods Declarations (bills of entry) and Road Manifest, especially those deemed priority, by Friday, 27 September 2024 @ 17h00.

• 25 September 2024 – General

• Taxation in South Africa 2024

ATAF

• ATAF enhances Zimbabwe’s capacity to tax gaming and betting sector – 21 September 2024

NATIONAL TREASURY

• Tribute to Pravin Gordhan – 20 September 2024