Trade Statistics for December 2018
Pretoria, 31 January 2019 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) today releases trade statistics for December 2018 recording a trade surplus of R17.17 billion. These statistics include trade data with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN).
Please click here to read the media release.
Pretoria, 25 January 2019 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) celebrated the International Customs Day (ICD) a day earlier today to honour the men and women who protect the country’s borders and help facilitate trade.
For almost seven decades since 1953 the ICD has, every year, without fail held and highlighted celebrations to mark the inaugural session of Customs Cooperation Council (CCC).
For this year the International Customs Day (ICD) 2019, which is decided by the World Customs Organisation (WCO), has chosen the theme to be “SMART borders for seamless Trade, Travel and Transport”.
To mark the significant event, SARS’s Customs and Excise division held celebrations at two venues, that is, the ICD in Pretoria and at Beitbridge Port of Entry in Limpopo.
The main event in Pretoria was headlined by the Acting Chief Officer: Customs & Excise: Beyers Theron who delivered the keynote address.
The event took the form of a trade exhibition, with a number of stalls highlighting some of Customs’ strategic projects, including the Preferred Trader programme, New Customs Acts Programme (NCAP), IT capability, Partnerships, new e-Traveller Card and focus on the illicit economy.
Importantly, in Beitbridge, the event was jointly celebrated with officials from the, South African National Defence Force (SANDF), Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) and highlighted some of the co-operative projects that the two administrations are working on together.
Both events included the traditional issuing of WCO certificates to various SARS staff and external stakeholders who have made positive contribution in pursuit of effective and smart control of the movement of goods.
“This year’s theme seeks to highlight the need for all of us in the agency to ensure that there’s swift and smooth cross-border movement of goods, people and means of transport,” said Theron.
SARS maintains that it is a collective responsibility as customs and border regulatory stakeholders to support efforts to grow the economy by ensuring that we bring the concept of seamless movement of legitimate goods and people to the border environment by the application of the SMART principles.
The concept of SMART borders provides a blueprint that can be used and applied by customs and other border regulatory partners in order to reduce the time and costs spends associated with cross-border traffic by strengthening the whole-of-government endeavour in that regard.
By SMART we mean that Customs, in partnership with other border regulatory stakeholders, should ensure that the following guiding principles of a SMART border are addressed:
To ensure the integrity of cargo the new SARS cargo system is capable of processing both manual and electronic seal data and tracking that through a number of facilities (terminals and depots) as the cargo move through the supply chain.
“In conclusion, these measures will enable us to deal decisively with illegal and counterfeit goods, which contribute to the illicit economy and loss of revenue to the state, said the acting chief officer.”
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Pretoria, Thursday 24 January 2019 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has noted media reports on allegations of tax evasion at the various commissions of inquiries that are underway.
SARS is concerned that names of some former employees have been mentioned in alleged wrongdoing and would like to assure the South African taxpayers and public that these will be investigated without fear or favour and guilty persons will be brought to book.
SARS wishes to further assure the taxpayers and public that in instances where tax rules and laws have been violated or undermined, strict measures will be applied to uphold the rule of law.
Also, SARS wishes to reiterate that the newly reconstituted Illicit Economy Unit is already hard at work and will be monitoring the developments closely and are taking the necessary steps where appropriate to ensure compliance with tax laws.
SARS wishes to draw attention to the Voluntary Disclosure Programme that is still fully operational and non-compliant taxpayers and members of the public are encouraged to make use of this facility where appropriate.
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Pretoria, 10 January 2019 – Customs officials of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) intercepted a consignment of rhino horns worth over R23 million at the OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) yesterday.
The 36 pieces of rhino horn were found after “Lizzy” a detector dog reacted positively to a consignment of so-called ‘decoration Items’ in a warehouse. Customs officials accordingly cut open eight boxes attached together with bubble wrap. The horns, destined for Dubai, were hid underneath cut laminated wooden sheets in four of the boxes which were otherwise filled with doormats and decorative items.
The total weight of the horns was 116kg, valued at an approximate value of R23 200 000.00. The street value of these horns is assumed to be much higher.
The inspection at the warehouse formed part of an initiative to increase enforcement activities on cargo for outbound flights, following recent reports that rhino horn, originating from South Africa, has been detected in the Far East. This initiative is continuing.
The South African Police Services (SAPS) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (HAWKS) were alerted, and a criminal case was registered with SAPS, DPCI (HAWKS) for further investigation.
To access this page in different languages click on the links below:
Pretoria, 11 January 2019 – Today, the OECD, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and National Treasury of South Africa (National Treasury) signed a Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC), agreeing to continue to work together in the area of taxation. The MoC is in place until December 2023.
The three parties have a long history of collaboration and the MoC provides for the continuation of such co-operation towards the achievement of the common objective of promoting fair and efficient tax systems and administrations, strengthening and modernising international taxation areas through the sharing of experiences between SARS, National Treasury and OECD member countries.
The MoC was signed in Pretoria, South Africa, by Mr. Ben Dickinson, Head of the OECD Global Relations and Development Division at the Centre for Tax Policy and Administration, Mr. Mark Kingon, Acting Commissioner of SARS, and Stadi Mngomezulu, Acting Director-General of National Treasury (signing on behalf of Dondo Mogajane, Director-General of National Treasury).
During the signing ceremony Ben Dickinson said: “I am delighted we are strengthening our partnership with SARS and National Treasury. We have together delivered successful training events as part of the Global Relations Programmes in the past years and I look forward to expanding our collaboration to blended learning and e-learning in 2019.
“It is through cooperative ventures such as the one we have entered into with the OECD that we can enhance our efforts to collect taxes and strengthen our democracy,” said Dondo Mogajane, Director-General of National Treasury.
Mark Kingon commented that the OECD–South African collaboration in the areas of Tax Policy and Administration over the past years have been immensely beneficial for all parties involved.
“Extending this by a further five years is therefore the natural thing to do. I am pleased for the continuation of the structured relationship that the MoC with the OECD will provide SARS with, particularly in focusing on a whole-of-government approach to tax administration, as well as further honing the skills of our officials in international taxation”.
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| National Treasury, SARS and the OECD today signed a Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC), agreeing to continue to work together in the area of taxation. The MoC is in place until December 2023. Signing the MoC at the SARS head office in Pretoria are, from the left, Stadi Mngomezulu, Acting Director-General of National Treasury (signing on behalf of Dondo Mogajane, Director-General of National Treasury); Mark Kingon, Acting Commissioner of SARS and Ben Dickinson, Head of the OECD Global Relations and Development Division at the Centre for Tax Policy and Administration. |
R1-billion tax evasion case
SARS welcomes the judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal that ended the protracted dispute with Africa Cash & Carry,
Trade Statistics
SARS released trade statistics for October 2019 recording a trade surplus of R3.09 billion, attributable to exports of R123.35 billion and imports of R120.26 billion,
High call volumes
The SARS Contact Centre is experiencing high call volumes today. Taxpayers are advised to use the call back option and an agent will call the taxpayer back.
eFiling downtime
Intermittent downtime will be experienced on eFiling from 20:00 to 01:00 on Saturday, 20 July, due to ongoing maintenance. We apologise for any inconvenience.
eFiling downtime
Due to ongoing maintenance, eFiling may not be available on Wednesday, 16 October 2019, from 19:00 to 20:00. Our apologies for any inconvenience.
No more TCC printing
The Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) cannot be printed anymore. Obtain your Tax Compliance Status (TCS) via a pin on eFiling,
Digital filing
Filing a tax return on any of the digital platforms, namely, SARS MobiApp and eFiling platforms for non-provisional taxpayers will close on 04 December,
Trusts enhancements
If you saved the existing ITR12T between 1 July and 14 October 2019 and then continue on or after 14 October, you will be presented with a few options,
Have you received an SMS from SARS?
Have you received an SMS from SARS with your simulated calculation?
Mobile Tax Units
Find out where our mobile units are and see our tax workshops to learn more about tax,
Issues with compatibility?
See our browser compatibility guidelines when you experience any issues with eFiling,
Single registration
Allows taxpayers to register, maintain and view associated tax and customs registrations in a consolidated tax profile,
Beware of scams
Beware of fake SARS jobs on Facebook and refund emails claiming to be from SARS. Also, only use registered Tax Practitioners, ask for the registration number and verify online,
Forgot eFiling password?
We realise that you only file your tax once a year so it’s easy to forget your password. So if you’ve forgotten your eFiling password, here’s some help,
Job seekers do not need tax reference numbers
SARS does not require a person to have a tax number when employed for the first time. Employers need to register employees for income tax online,
R1-billion tax evasion case
SARS welcomes the judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal that ended the protracted dispute with Africa Cash & Carry,
Trade Statistics
SARS released trade statistics for October 2019 recording a trade surplus of R3.09 billion, attributable to exports of R123.35 billion and imports of R120.26 billion,
High call volumes
The SARS Contact Centre is experiencing high call volumes today. Taxpayers are advised to use the call back option and an agent will call the taxpayer back.
eFiling downtime
Intermittent downtime will be experienced on eFiling from 20:00 to 01:00 on Saturday, 20 July, due to ongoing maintenance. We apologise for any inconvenience.
eFiling downtime
Due to ongoing maintenance, eFiling may not be available on Wednesday, 16 October 2019, from 19:00 to 20:00. Our apologies for any inconvenience.
No more TCC printing
The Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) cannot be printed anymore. Obtain your Tax Compliance Status (TCS) via a pin on eFiling,
Digital filing
Filing a tax return on any of the digital platforms, namely, SARS MobiApp and eFiling platforms for non-provisional taxpayers will close on 04 December,
Trusts enhancements
If you saved the existing ITR12T between 1 July and 14 October 2019 and then continue on or after 14 October, you will be presented with a few options,
Have you received an SMS from SARS?
Have you received an SMS from SARS with your simulated calculation?
Mobile Tax Units
Find out where our mobile units are and see our tax workshops to learn more about tax,
Issues with compatibility?
See our browser compatibility guidelines when you experience any issues with eFiling,
Single registration
Allows taxpayers to register, maintain and view associated tax and customs registrations in a consolidated tax profile,
Beware of scams
Beware of fake SARS jobs on Facebook and refund emails claiming to be from SARS. Also, only use registered Tax Practitioners, ask for the registration number and verify online,
Forgot eFiling password?
We realise that you only file your tax once a year so it’s easy to forget your password. So if you’ve forgotten your eFiling password, here’s some help,
Job seekers do not need tax reference numbers
SARS does not require a person to have a tax number when employed for the first time. Employers need to register employees for income tax online,
R1-billion tax evasion case
SARS welcomes the judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal that ended the protracted dispute with Africa Cash & Carry,
Trade Statistics
SARS released trade statistics for October 2019 recording a trade surplus of R3.09 billion, attributable to exports of R123.35 billion and imports of R120.26 billion,
High call volumes
The SARS Contact Centre is experiencing high call volumes today. Taxpayers are advised to use the call back option and an agent will call the taxpayer back.
eFiling downtime
Intermittent downtime will be experienced on eFiling from 20:00 to 01:00 on Saturday, 20 July, due to ongoing maintenance. We apologise for any inconvenience.
eFiling downtime
Due to ongoing maintenance, eFiling may not be available on Wednesday, 16 October 2019, from 19:00 to 20:00. Our apologies for any inconvenience.
No more TCC printing
The Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) cannot be printed anymore. Obtain your Tax Compliance Status (TCS) via a pin on eFiling,
Digital filing
Filing a tax return on any of the digital platforms, namely, SARS MobiApp and eFiling platforms for non-provisional taxpayers will close on 04 December,
Trusts enhancements
If you saved the existing ITR12T between 1 July and 14 October 2019 and then continue on or after 14 October, you will be presented with a few options,
Have you received an SMS from SARS?
Have you received an SMS from SARS with your simulated calculation?
Mobile Tax Units
Find out where our mobile units are and see our tax workshops to learn more about tax,
Issues with compatibility?
See our browser compatibility guidelines when you experience any issues with eFiling,
Single registration
Allows taxpayers to register, maintain and view associated tax and customs registrations in a consolidated tax profile,
Beware of scams
Beware of fake SARS jobs on Facebook and refund emails claiming to be from SARS. Also, only use registered Tax Practitioners, ask for the registration number and verify online,
Forgot eFiling password?
We realise that you only file your tax once a year so it’s easy to forget your password. So if you’ve forgotten your eFiling password, here’s some help,
Job seekers do not need tax reference numbers
SARS does not require a person to have a tax number when employed for the first time. Employers need to register employees for income tax online,
R1-billion tax evasion case
SARS welcomes the judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal that ended the protracted dispute with Africa Cash & Carry,
Trade Statistics
SARS released trade statistics for October 2019 recording a trade surplus of R3.09 billion, attributable to exports of R123.35 billion and imports of R120.26 billion,
High call volumes
The SARS Contact Centre is experiencing high call volumes today. Taxpayers are advised to use the call back option and an agent will call the taxpayer back.
eFiling downtime
Intermittent downtime will be experienced on eFiling from 20:00 to 01:00 on Saturday, 20 July, due to ongoing maintenance. We apologise for any inconvenience.
eFiling downtime
Due to ongoing maintenance, eFiling may not be available on Wednesday, 16 October 2019, from 19:00 to 20:00. Our apologies for any inconvenience.
No more TCC printing
The Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) cannot be printed anymore. Obtain your Tax Compliance Status (TCS) via a pin on eFiling,
Digital filing
Filing a tax return on any of the digital platforms, namely, SARS MobiApp and eFiling platforms for non-provisional taxpayers will close on 04 December,
Trusts enhancements
If you saved the existing ITR12T between 1 July and 14 October 2019 and then continue on or after 14 October, you will be presented with a few options,
Have you received an SMS from SARS?
Have you received an SMS from SARS with your simulated calculation?
Mobile Tax Units
Find out where our mobile units are and see our tax workshops to learn more about tax,
Issues with compatibility?
See our browser compatibility guidelines when you experience any issues with eFiling,
Single registration
Allows taxpayers to register, maintain and view associated tax and customs registrations in a consolidated tax profile,
Beware of scams
Beware of fake SARS jobs on Facebook and refund emails claiming to be from SARS. Also, only use registered Tax Practitioners, ask for the registration number and verify online,
Forgot eFiling password?
We realise that you only file your tax once a year so it’s easy to forget your password. So if you’ve forgotten your eFiling password, here’s some help,
Job seekers do not need tax reference numbers
SARS does not require a person to have a tax number when employed for the first time. Employers need to register employees for income tax online,
R1-billion tax evasion case
SARS welcomes the judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal that ended the protracted dispute with Africa Cash & Carry,
Trade Statistics
SARS released trade statistics for October 2019 recording a trade surplus of R3.09 billion, attributable to exports of R123.35 billion and imports of R120.26 billion,
High call volumes
The SARS Contact Centre is experiencing high call volumes today. Taxpayers are advised to use the call back option and an agent will call the taxpayer back.
eFiling downtime
Intermittent downtime will be experienced on eFiling from 20:00 to 01:00 on Saturday, 20 July, due to ongoing maintenance. We apologise for any inconvenience.
eFiling downtime
Due to ongoing maintenance, eFiling may not be available on Wednesday, 16 October 2019, from 19:00 to 20:00. Our apologies for any inconvenience.
No more TCC printing
The Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) cannot be printed anymore. Obtain your Tax Compliance Status (TCS) via a pin on eFiling,
Digital filing
Filing a tax return on any of the digital platforms, namely, SARS MobiApp and eFiling platforms for non-provisional taxpayers will close on 04 December,
Trusts enhancements
If you saved the existing ITR12T between 1 July and 14 October 2019 and then continue on or after 14 October, you will be presented with a few options,
Have you received an SMS from SARS?
Have you received an SMS from SARS with your simulated calculation?
Mobile Tax Units
Find out where our mobile units are and see our tax workshops to learn more about tax,
Issues with compatibility?
See our browser compatibility guidelines when you experience any issues with eFiling,
Single registration
Allows taxpayers to register, maintain and view associated tax and customs registrations in a consolidated tax profile,
Beware of scams
Beware of fake SARS jobs on Facebook and refund emails claiming to be from SARS. Also, only use registered Tax Practitioners, ask for the registration number and verify online,
Forgot eFiling password?
We realise that you only file your tax once a year so it’s easy to forget your password. So if you’ve forgotten your eFiling password, here’s some help,
Job seekers do not need tax reference numbers
SARS does not require a person to have a tax number when employed for the first time. Employers need to register employees for income tax online,