Eayfile 6.1.2 Tax reference numbers

[Easyfile user]

In comparison with previous EMP501 recons, I have't had a lot of hiccups with the August 2012 recon this far. But I am stuck now with obtaining tax reference numbers for employees that I registered using the Bunde IT Reg. After synchronising, it directs me to the Notification centre for the Tax reference numbers but when I open the IT Reg message in the Notification Centre, it says "No results found".

I tried the process several times, uninstalled and reinstalled, checked our Adobe and Java versions but no luck. I called SARS, they do not know why it is happening.

Am I the only one with this problem? And what are the chances of SARS penalties for submitting the recon without tax numbers for all employees? According to them they "are in the process" of giving penalties for this.

[Christel]

Hi there, I also found this on some of my recons. SARS does not give out IT numbers if you phone... so the taxpayer /employee must phone to get his own number.
I would think that if you load an employee, click on IT REG and it comes up with the message saying that the person has a valid IT number, but it does not reveal it to you... you can safely submit the recon, because SARS will be able to match the ID to the IT number on their side... surely they cannot penalize the employer for not showing the IT number on the certificate. At least the employee is registered, and that was the main idea in the first place...

What you think? Do I make sense above? Sorry... thinking in Afrikaans and trying to type in English!

[Easyfile user]

Hallo Christel,

Dankie vir jou antwoord. Ek is ook eintlik Afikaans.

Ek het nou maar die werknemers gevra om self SARS te bel vir hulle nommers. Ek stem met jou saam dat dit belaglik sal wees om die werkgewer te penaliseer net omdat die nommer nie op die IRP5 sertifkaat verskyn nie, solank die persoon net geregistreer is. Ek gaan jou advies probeer van kliek op IT Reg. En dan gaan ek dit net so submit as ek teen die einde van Oktober nog nie al die mense se nommers by hulle gekry het nie.

[Dave A]

I've got two things to report.

First, based on a telephone conversation I had on the SARS helpline about a month ago, there is currently no penalty if you submit an IRP5 or IT3a without the employee's income tax number.

Second, SARS released a notice in the run up to this (201208) recon that E@syfile would import missing IT numbers for employees where you have issued an IRP5 or IT3a. I haven't figured out the exact sequence that triggers it, but I can confirm that in the case of three employees where I didn't have IT numbers available for the 201202 recon, their IT number fields in the employee profile have now been magically populated.

I'd endorse Christel's suggestion above as a first step. If they're not already registered, then a registration will be created. If it comes back that they're already registered, I wouldn't sweat any more about it - it seems the problem will resolve itself (At this stage I'm guessing it's only after you've done a submission with an IRP5 or IT3a issued for the employee though).

[Easyfile user]

Thank you, Dave for the advice! It makes sense. I am not going to sweat any longer.