SARS has designed the filing season 2020 for personal taxes covering 3 phases.

SARS has responded to current Covid-19 challenges by making key changes to the personal tax filing season. In a media briefing held on 5 May, SARS commissioner Edward Kieswetter reiterated that more than ever before, “taxpayers need to remain compliant”.

 
SARS has designed the filing season 2020 for personal taxes covering 3 phases.
 

Phase 1 – Employer filing (15 April to 31 May 2020)

A renewed focus will be placed on Employers to be fully compliant in terms of their filing and payment obligations, i.e. the employer annual reconciliation process.

 
 Phase 2 – Tax file updates (1 June to 31 August 2020)

Taxpayers will be granted the opportunity to engage with SARS to ensure that their personal tax data is up to date, e.g. banking details, postal and physical address etc. These changes can also be done on-line.

Auto-assessments will also be issued by SARS to those individual taxpayers meeting certain criteria based on their income composite, thereby negating the need to render a tax return.

 
Phase 3 – Employee filing (1 September to 31 January 2021)

A) NON-PROVISIONAL TAXPAYERS
Branch visits: Non-Provisional taxpayers will have a deadline for filing their tax returns of 22 October 2020.

Via e-filing: Non-Provisional taxpayers are required to file their tax returns as from 1 September with the filing deadline of 16 November 2020.
 
B) PROVISIONAL TAXPAYERS
Provisional taxpayers will be required to file their tax returns as from 1 September with the filing deadline of 31 January 2021.