[Question] Employee Income Tax Numbers

[Jane123]

Hi Guys

I have a newish employee who doesn't know their income tax number. I have got them to phone SARS but of course, can't answer any of the validation questions as they don't know old phone number/address/bank details supplied

Does anyone know of a quick way to get their tax number other than missioning off to a SARS branch (with lack of proof of address as well I might add) to get it?

Would really like to get my EMP501 submitted but am now being held up because of this (and of course it's our fault if we submit without it!)

Know I am pushing my luck but hey, thought I'd chance it...!

Thanks!

[dellatjie]

I would love to hear any solution to this problem, as I do not have one EMP501 this month where this is not the problem, and I have 15 of them to finalise...

[Dave A]

The solution should be that (assuming name and ID number is correctly captured) when you synchronise, the missing Income Tax number should be updated on E@syfile automatically.

[BusFact]

If Easyfile didn't generate the number automatically, then we sent the employee to their local SARS branch. We had 4 or 5 like this and each came back within a few days with the number on a SARS printout. Sorry, don't know what they went through at SARS or of an alternative, but it seemed straight forward otherwise I'm sure there would have been queries. Make it the employees problem for now, before it becomes yours at the end of the month.

[HR Solutions]

Yes as Dave says.

[BusFact]

Except it doesn't always work. For some it generated numbers, others it did not.

[Jane123]

eish ja.. it SHOULD generate... but doesn't... even tried synchronising daily so see if anything changed (maybe the option died in one of the gazillion updates it has). Looks like am going to lose an employee for the day and send him to queue at SARS.
Thanks for all the help though guys- really appreciate it!

[dellatjie]

Writing off several employees for a day, only to acquire a tax number, simply doesn't make sense! Clients may consider rather risking paying the admin penalty I suppose, as our nearest branch is 100km away, so they will have to pay transport for employees as well...

[BusFact]

I so agree with you. It does not make sense. Nobody likes paying tax, but what really gets to me is the stupid admin hassles around it. This is an excellent case in point.

[ashnasingh]

If you have administrative rights on your efiling profile, you are able to register employees for tax numbers.
Unfortunately this only works for those who do not have existing tax numbers.

[dellatjie]

If you have administrative rights on your efiling profile, you are able to register employees for tax numbers.
Unfortunately this only works for those who do not have existing tax numbers.

Plus they do not give these rights to tax practitioners, only organisations.

[Hannes Botha]

I've run into so many issues here, sometimes even with guys leaving my service before I could even get their SARS number. So it's become part of the interview: If he has never had a tax number, no problem, our payroll company sorts that out. If he had the number, but doesn't anymore, I ask: "When do you want to start?" If the answer is: "Tomorrow" I say "In two days, and please bring your tax number with"...so he basically brings his number in on his first day...