A current thread on delays in getting refunds from SARS reminded me that I should do some sort of update on this thread.
I report that I did eventually manage to realise the ETI refund due from January 2015 - in January 2017!
The number of calls and visits that had to be made to get it done was beyond ridiculous. Here are a couple of the high lowlights:
When following up in March 2016 as to why I had not had a response to my Case submission in January 2016, I was told that SARS had only just created an appropriate Case Type for ETI refunds. Apparently all previous efforts had been assigned to a general Case Type which was essentially why they were never responded to - as they were incorrectly allocated and no-one knew what to do with them.
When SARS seemed to have finally run out of excuses to throw hurdles in the way, in December 2016 they came up with this one -
Dear Sir / Madam
RE : ETI REFUND - (no. removed)
I refer to your request for an ETI refund.
You have 2 options for this refund to be processed.
1. A cheque will be issued for the amount of R2000.00
2. The funds can be transferred to your company tax or VAT account, provided there are no outstanding matters on these taxes.
SARS would like to decrease the risk of cheques being posted and intercepted by 3rd parties, therefore the ideal option will be to transfer to VAT or company tax.
Kindly advise on option you have chosen.
Thanks
I elected that they allocate it against the company's VAT account, was advised it had been transferred, and paid the December 2016 VAT 201 return less the R2000.00 credit...
...only to discover I couldn't assign the credit (which was plainly there in the Statement of Account) to the December 2016 VAT return.
Then the lady from refunds couldn't allocate the credit because there was a short-paid VAT return (you guessed it - December 2016!!!)
On 8th February 2017 they finally got it right.
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