Late payment - according to SARS

**Dave A** · 06-Oct-14, 02:55 PM

I released payment for the August 2014 EMP201 on 5th September 2014 via Standard Bank's My Bills facility.
And I've checked - the money left my bank account on 5th September.

According to the EMPSA, SARS only received the payment on 12th September 2014.
And have accordingly raised a penalty and interest.

**Justloadit** · 06-Oct-14, 05:34 PM

Bummer. No matter how much you plead, they are not going to listen.

I wonder who's fault is it?
SARs or Stranded?

**Houses4Rent** · 06-Oct-14, 08:25 PM

What do the banks usually say, it takes up to three business days? That would be the 10/09. Ask them why it took longer and make them liable for the delay.

However, I find all the time that once the funds arrived they get back dated and whenever I care to check it took all my transfers 1 business day across all banks.

Show SARS that the funds left your account 05/09 and quote the banks lead time guarantee (3 days?) and then ask both parties what the problem is.

**Justloadit** · 06-Oct-14, 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by Houses4Rent

What do the banks usually say, it takes up to three business days? That would be the 10/09. Ask them why it took longer and make them liable for the delay.

However, I find all the time that once the funds arrived they get back dated and whenever I care to check it took all my transfers 1 business day across all banks.

Show SARS that the funds left your account 05/09 and quote the banks lead time guarantee (3 days?) and then ask both parties what the problem is.

SARS states that the money must be in their account by the 7th, the onus is in the payer to ensure the funds are there on the required date.

**Houses4Rent** · 06-Oct-14, 08:51 PM

I know and agree that its the receiving date, not the sending date. If its the 7th which is a Sunday I would not have send it later than 4th as I would expect it to arrive on Fri 05th. I had same problem myself, but I did not know the finer details back then. I pleaded that I did not know better, promised that it won't happen again and was let off the hook.

However, it still makes not sense to me that it too until the 12th.

**CLIVE-TRIANGLE** · 07-Oct-14, 07:11 AM

Originally Posted by Dave A

I released payment for the August 2014 EMP201 on 5th September 2014 via Standard Bank's My Bills facility.
And I've checked - the money left my bank account on 5th September.

According to the EMPSA, SARS only received the payment on 12th September 2014.
And have accordingly raised a penalty and interest.

Submit a request for waiver of penalty and interest, Dave. Support the request with the bank statements and so on, because you can show your compliance and that you did not benefit from the delay, which is a key criteria.

You can do it by email to contact.central@sars.gov.za

**Dave A** · 07-Oct-14, 07:54 AM

The interesting thing is I doubt I'm alone. With the known problems Standard Bank was having with their IT systems at the time, I suspect there must be other users of Standard Bank's My Bills facility that have been affected.

I have little doubt SARS will waive the penalty and interest once it is brought to their attention. I know they do make allowances for IT gremlins causing mischief.

Given that it is a system error though, I do wonder whether it falls to Standard Bank to raise the issue with SARS, rather than each affected party to raise it individually.

I was thinking of leaving it until next month, and if it isn't resolved by then, taking it up with SARS.
Any thoughts on that?

**CLIVE-TRIANGLE** · 07-Oct-14, 08:10 AM

and if it isn't resolved by then

really?

**Beancounter** · 07-Oct-14, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by Dave A

Given that it is a system error though, I do wonder whether it falls to Standard Bank to raise the issue with SARS, rather than each affected party to raise it individually.

I was thinking of leaving it until next month, and if it isn't resolved by then, taking it up with SARS.
Any thoughts on that?

Good luck putting any reliance on Standard Bank. Their business banking clients can still not see payments loaded via eFiling and they have to pay by EFT. All requests to Standard Bank to look into their technical handling of the credit push payment system have fallen on deaf ears. None of my clients with FNB, ABSA or Nedbank have any problems. They authorise the payment on the due date and it is still on time. Only ABSA has this irritating little feature where the payment loaded on eFiling expires at midnight but otherwise all is well for clients of those 3 banks.