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2024 Legal and Policy

Legal and Policy - 7 November 2024

Overview

Legal and Policy - 7 November 2024

Description

SARS

  • 31 October 2024 – South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance surplus of R12.8 billion in September 2024 attributable to exports of R170.7 billion and imports of R157.9 billion, inclusive of trade with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN).

Read the full Media Release here.

Or visit the Trade Statistics webpage.

  • 1 November 2024 – Where more than one lease agreement is applicable, a summary of leases must be submitted with Transfer Duty application. See an example of summary of leases.

SARS will request the full lease agreement where necessary. If there is only one lease agreement, please upload the full lease to the transaction.

See the Checklist for Transfer Duty Relevant Material per transaction type.

For more information, see the Transfer duty webpage.

  • 1 November 2024 – During this phase of the Customs Modernisation Programme (CMP) for South African Traveller Management System (SATMS), the Traveller will be required to declare currency and temporary imports on SATMS. To provide clarity to the Traveller, the SATMS Through the SARS Website external guide and SATMS Through Mobi-App or QR Code Scan external guides have been updated to specify steps:

· for the traveller declaring currency in their possession carried on behalf of another person and on behalf of a company.

· for declaring temporary importation / exportation when Sea or Air mode of travel is selected.

The online Traveller Declaration can be accessed via the SARS website, SARS Mobi Application, or by scanning the QR Code displayed throughout the Customs ports. Travellers can use the online Traveller Declaration to register or create a profile, describe the goods in their possession, and submit travelling declarations.

· SC-PA-01-12 – SATMS Through the SARS Website – External Guide

· SC-PA-01-13 – SATMS Through the Mobi-App and QR Code Scan – External Guide

  • 1 November 2024 – The Donations Tax Guide has been updated with details of the latest version of the Donations Tax Declaration Form (IT144). The purpose of the guide is to assist with the completion of the IT144 form.

GEN-DNT- 01-G01 – Manage Donations Tax – External Guide

In this edition we talk about Third-Party data submissions, FATF updates, the amended NPO Act, Sectoral Risk Assessment, the Voluntary Disclosure Programme and the PAYE Bi-Annual Filing Season.

  • 1 November 2024 – The introduction of automation in the handling of bonds by SARS, under the Customs Modernisation Program (CMP) Bond Automation Project, marks a significant advancement in the modernisation of the country’s tax and customs administration. This initiative goes beyond a simple technological upgrade, representing a substantial stride toward enhancing operational efficiency, ensuring compliance, and simplifying procedures for both authorities and traders/taxpayers.

As part of CMP Bond Automation Project, several Customs Bonds specific documents and Registration Licensing and Accreditation documents (RLA) have been updated to enable the efficiency of bond registrations on the (RLA) dashboard. Furthermore, both the Customs and Excise Manage eAccounts external guides underwent amendments to highlight the newly introduced option of managing bonds under the eAccount menu on the eFiling platform for Customs and Excise clients respectively.

Further updates to the guides address the requirement that, when clients provide supporting documentation for processing, these documents will be returned to the client after they have been scanned by the Branch Agent.

The updated documents can be accessed through the following links:

· SC-SE-05 – Bonds – External Policy

· SC-SE-05-A01 – Bond Assessment – External Annexure

· SC-CF-19 – Registration Licensing and Accreditation – External Policy

· SC-CF-19-A01 – Documentary Requirements – External Annexure

· SC-CF-42 – Customs Trader Portal – External Guide

· SC-DT-A-04 – Manage eAccounts on eFiling – External Guide

· SE-ACC-07 – Manage eAccounts on eFiling – External Guide

  • 1 November 2024 – New eFiling registrations for Personal Income Tax may now require facial recognition. Biometric facial recognition authentication is being introduced for all individuals who register for eFiling using a valid South African ID.

This applies to the eFiling website, the SARS MobiApp and the SARS Self Service Kiosks:

· The system will provide instructions e.g. required background setting, removal of head gear and glasses, facial position and distance from the camera, and online guidance to help users capture clear photos for the authentication.

· Individuals utilising the eFiling website or SARS MobiApp to register will require a device with a camera e.g. a Desktop with a webcam or a laptop with a camera feature or a smartphone with a camera.

· Individuals who do not have access to a device with a camera must book an appointment for a SARS official to assist with the eFiling registration.

· The existing eFiling registration, authentication and manual verification process will still apply to non-South African citizens.

For more information, see the updated Guides:

· How to Register for eFiling and Manage Your User Profile

· How to register for the use of the SARS MobiApp

  • 4 November 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.

  • 5 November 2024 – National Legislation

· Invitation to submit technical Annexure C tax proposals for the 2025 Budget

Due date for comment: 25 November 2024

  • 6 November 2024 – The facility codes used in Box 30 of Goods Declaration (GD) have been updated to include the details of the newly approved container depot – Coega Fruit Terminal (located in Gqeberha).

This enables Customs to communicate the status of the consignment by transmitting electronic messages to these facilities.

· SC-CF-19-A02 – Facility Code List – External Annexure

NATIONAL TREASURY

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AuthorSAICA
DivisionLegal and Policy
Keywords
7 November 2024
Legal and Policy
Categories
Legal and Policy
Date7 November 2024