Part of the problem is the SARS consultants not only don't know the eFiling system that well, they don't trust it.
And for good reason at times - I've personally seen some of the weirdness that happens in eFiling.
I've got a VAT period from 2010 that shows up in General Unpaid despite it having been paid, and every time I query it (which is now down to twice a year when I get a tax clearance certificate) I'm told it's definitely paid, and that eFiling is a different system that doesn't count, so if you're getting no joy from eFiling support (which I'm not), ignore it.
Then with the debit pull debacle, for the company where I can't use the credit push option, when I file the EMP201 it generates two identical entries in the General Unpaid listing. I've given up trying to use eFiling to report the EFT payment as it only gets rid of one of the duplicates. What seems to work best is to make the payment via EFT with the right PRN, and don't do anything on eFiling. Then both entries magically disappear eventually.
I expect the "unpaid" listings will linger on into eternity much like the VAT one has so far.
It seems there's a main system (which has the info that counts). eFiling, E@syfile et al are relatively independent systems that help format info for import into the main system. But the information only really flows one way; into the main system - they're not fully synced bi-directionally.
To make matters worse, the main system is actually two systems that don't talk too well to each other either - the 2008 and prior system, and the 2009 onwards system. Recently I had a payment made in mid 2009* magically unmatch itself from the return for Feb 2008 - and it's the second time it has happened.
It's not just taxation that's as complicated as heck, it would seem SARS's overall IT systems integration is a bit complicated too.
*I made a minor stuff up of an EMP201 return which only emerged when I did the EMP501 - resulting in a late top-up payment having to be made - with penalties and interest of course.
Did you like this article? Share it with your favourite social network.