To determine if the South African Revenue Service (SARS) owes you money, you’ll need to go through the process of filing your tax return and receiving an assessment. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you find out if SARS owes you money:
- Submit Your Tax Return: If you are an individual taxpayer, you need to submit your annual tax return to SARS. This can be done through the eFiling platform or at a SARS branch.
- Receive Your Assessment: After you’ve submitted your tax return, SARS will assess it to calculate whether you have overpaid your taxes during the year. SARS will then send you an assessment, which will indicate whether you have a refund due to you.
- Check the Assessment: Review the assessment document carefully. It will clearly state whether you are owed money (a refund) or if you have a tax liability. If you are owed money, the assessment will provide details about the refund amount.
- Accept the Assessment: If the assessment confirms that SARS owes you money, you will need to accept the assessment. This typically happens through the eFiling platform, where you officially acknowledge and agree with the assessment results.
- Provide Bank Details: During the eFiling process, you would have provided SARS with your bank account details. These details are necessary for SARS to deposit the refund into your account. Ensure that your bank details are accurate and up to date.
- Wait for the Refund: After you’ve accepted the assessment and provided your bank details, SARS will process your refund. The processing time can vary, and SARS will communicate with you about the estimated time frame for the refund to be deposited into your bank account.
- Check Communication: Keep an eye on your eFiling account and any other communication channels you have with SARS. They may send notifications or updates about the status of your refund.
If you suspect that SARS owes you money but you haven’t received an assessment or communication from them, it’s advisable to log in to your eFiling account and review the status of your tax return. Additionally, you can contact SARS directly or visit their official website for more information on how to inquire about your refund status.