[Question] Transfering taxpayers who have registerd for e-filing onto a tax practitioners profile

[Roger15]

Hi there,

What is the easiest way to transfer taxpayers e-filing profiles who have registered for e-filing onto a tax practitioners profile on SARS E-filing?

Without having to notify or bug the taxpayer? Once the process has been completed, then the tax practitioner will notify them.

Thanks

[Mike Simmonds]

If you have got their login details then you don't have to bug them, just tell them to ignore any messages from SARS and you can notify them when everything is done.

[CLIVE-TRIANGLE]

Despite your good intentions, what you are proposing has ethical consequences and is most likely illegal.

The correct process is to "Request Tax Types". This will send an email to whoever has that person on his profile. If it is another tax practitioner, it affords him the opportunity to discuss it with the taxpayer before authorising the transfer. For example (and I have experienced many!) the taxpayer may well owe the practitioner money for the previous submissions, or worse, has left the practitioner dangling because SARS has requested supporting information with regard to a submission.

The previous practitioner has the opportunity to send you a message indicating why he will not authorise the transfer, or simply authorise it. If his reasons for refusal are valid, I personally decline the appointment because simply put, that's not the type of client I want.

If it is simply a case of the taxpayer having registered his own profile, he can simply accede to the request.

In either case, if the request is ignored, after a few days the system allows you to do a "taxpayer override". This will send an sms to the taxpayer's cell number, which you input (and his email address) and the intention is that the taxpayer forwards to you the authorisation code received from SARS.

The weakness in this system is that you can input your own contact details and receive the code directly. If you use this method you should make sure you have a written appointment from the taxpayer.

[Roger15]

Hi there,
I get this error when trying request a taxpayer move...
"The taxpayer details above do not correspond to the registration number of the holding taxpayer"

I am unsure why this is coming up?

Thanks

[Mike Simmonds]

You did not mention the type of entity you are trying to load, but basically the organisation details that you have entered differ from those that the previous practitioner loaded on e-filing e.g. the ID number of an individual.

[Roger15]

Hi Mike

It is an individual
I log into my e-filing profile. Then I load the information of the taxpayer I want to put onto my profile. Then I go to request tax type, then I enter the individuals tax number and that error comes up...?
Thanks

[Mike Simmonds]

Check with the individual and try the old ID Number, or maybe even a surname. Try phone SARS and confirm the details that they have on system for the taxpayer. In some cases I have even asked the individual to create their own SARS efiling profile and first get them to "get the profile" before sharing it or transferring it to me.

[CLIVE-TRIANGLE]

Check with the individual and try the old ID Number, or maybe even a surname.

I have had that message displayed if there is a difference in the name. For example "de Bruyn" vs "de Bruin". It gets confusing because in one instance I had the name correct, but is existed on another profile with the name incorrect. In the end I had to register with the incorrect name, request tax type transfer, and then amend details to the correct name.

It also happens with companies. If a company was registered for tax on a specific name, and after it underwent a name change you try to register it on a profile with the new name, that exact message is displayed.