Current initiatives
17 May 2023 – SARS is sending a survey to taxpayers with disabilities
Dear Valued Taxpayer
SARS is conducting a customer experience survey for taxpayers living with disabilities who have interacted with SARS, and you have been selected to participate in the study. We kindly request your feedback. This will assist to understand your views and to help SARS improve on its processes.
Please be assured that your responses will remain anonymous, as the survey is completely confidential. If you would like to verify the authenticity of this email and the survey, please visit the SARS website at www.sars.gov.za.
Click the link below to complete this short survey.
XXX
Sincerely,
SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICE
30 March 2023 – SARS is sending SMSs requesting taxpayers to settle their outstanding debt and avoid enforcement actions
The wording of the SMS is as follows: “Dear Taxpayer, you are reminded to pay your outstanding <Taxtype> Debt of R <Balance> on Account <TaxrefUnmasked> by 31 March 2023, to avoid further enforcement actions. Regards, SARS”
10 February 2023 – Trade Facilitation Indicators Survey
A survey will be distributed to a selected group of traders. Below is an extract of the cover letter for confirmation that it’s legit and not a scam. The survey will run from 13 – 28 February 2023. For the official letter, click here.
Dear Trader
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is conducting a survey to measure your experience with Trade Facilitation Indicators (TFIs) that are administered by Customs and Excise Division. The survey seeks to measure the extent to which Customs and Excise Division is effective and efficient towards trade facilitation across the following areas: Information availability, Involvement of the Trade Community (Consultations), Advanced rulings, Appeal procedures, Fees and charges, Formalities (documents, automation & procedures), Internal and External co-operation, Governance, and Impartiality to provide enhanced Trade Facilitation.
SARS is governed by the South African Revenue Service Act No. 34 of 1997 which guarantees taxpayers and traders information protection, confidentiality, and compliance with the POPI Act. Your enterprise has been identified as a critical stakeholder who engages with SARS for a wide range of trade related business in the importation and exportation of goods and services. The findings of this survey are strictly for SARS use, and your name and address cannot be linked in any way to the answers you provide. Participation is completely anonymous.
You are therefore encouraged to use this opportunity to participate in this process. We further encourage you to kindly extend this invitation to the wider trading community to participate in the survey. The survey takes between 15 to 20 minutes to complete, and your participation will be highly appreciated. Should you have any enquiries or feedback, please contact Colbert Mbuyane, email [email protected] or via cell phone at XXX.
Sincerely,
BEYERS THERON
DIRECTOR: CUSTOMS BORDER OPERATIONS, PORTS OF ENTRY & CUSTOMS COMPLIANCE
DATE: 09 FEBRUARY 2023
25 January 2023 – Surveys to determine the reason for submission of NIL returns
Surveys will be distributed to a sample of taxpayers and tax practitioners. Below is the wording for information and confirmation that it’s legit and not a scam:
Survey 1:
Dear Valued Tax Practitioner
SARS is conducting a survey on the submission of nil returns and you have been selected to participate in the study. We kindly request your feedback. This will assist to understand your views and to help SARS improve on its process.
Please be assured that your responses will remain anonymous, as the survey is completely confidential. If you would like to verify the authenticity of this email and the survey, please visit the SARS website at www.sars.gov.za.
Click the link below to complete this short survey.
Survey link XXX
Sincerely,
SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICE
Survey 2:
Dear Valued Taxpayer
SARS is conducting a survey on the submission of nil returns and you have been selected to participate in the study. We kindly request your feedback. This will assist to understand your views and to help SARS improve on its process.
Please be assured that your responses will remain anonymous, as the survey is completely confidential. If you would like to verify the authenticity of this email and the survey, please visit the SARS website at www.sars.gov.za.
Click the link below to complete this short survey.
Survey link XXX
Sincerely,
SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICE
12 January 2023 – Value-Added Tax (VAT) Customer Experience Study
A survey will be distributed to a sample of VAT vendors. Below is the wording for you to know it’s legit and not a scam:
Dear VAT Vendor,
SARS is conducting a customer experience survey and you have been selected to participate in the study. We kindly request your feedback on your interaction with SARS regarding your VAT registration. Your feedback will be used to understand your views and to help SARS improve on its VAT registration process.
Please be assured that your responses will remain anonymous, as the survey is completely confidential. If you would like to verify the authenticity of this email and the survey, please visit the SARS website at www.sars.gov.za.
Click the link below to complete this short survey.
Survey Link XXX
Sincerely,
SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICE
Closed now – 16 November 2022 – Request for your participation in the Annual Clarity Survey
From: South African Revenue Service <[email protected]>
Sent: 16 November 2022 10:49 AM
To: XXX
Subject: Request for your participation in the Annual Clarity Survey
Dear Taxpayer,
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is conducting an annual survey to establish whether taxpayers and traders are satisfied with the clarity and certainty of the guidance provided by SARS in order for them to comply with the tax legislation in specific areas, for specific tax types and programs. The survey will run from 14 November 2022 till 2 December 2022.
You have been identified to participate in the survey to assist us to meet the desired objectives of the survey.
Kindly note that your participation is voluntary. You have the right to decline or withdraw at any time and the survey is strictly confidential.
Please XXX to complete the survey on your computer or smart phone and return it to us by 2 December 2022.
For more information and clarity regarding this survey, please email Dr Noah Marutlulle at XXX or call him on XXX.
We thank you in greater anticipation for your participation.
Sincerely,
Taxpayer and Trader Education
The South African Revenue Service
How do you know it’s a legitimate survey and not a scam?
SARS will not:
- ask money to complete a survey
- ask you for your personal details
- pay you to complete the survey
- force people to complete a survey, if not interested, you are welcome to decline.
Members of the public are randomly emailed with false “spoofed” emails made to look as if these emails were sent from SARS, but are in fact fraudulent emails aimed at enticing unsuspecting taxpayers to part with personal information such as bank account details. Examples include emails that appear to be from [email protected] or [email protected] indicating that taxpayers are eligible to receive tax refunds. These emails contain links to false forms and fake websites made to look like the “real thing”, but with the aim of fooling people into entering personal information such as bank account details which the criminals then extract and use fraudulently. See our latest list of scams for more info.
Keep the following in mind:
- Do not open or respond to emails from unknown sources.
- Beware of emails that ask for personal, tax, banking and eFiling details (login credentials, passwords, pins, credit / debit card information, etc.).
- SARS will never request your banking details in any communication that you receive via post, email, or SMS. However, for the purpose of telephonic engagement and authentication purposes, SARS will verify your personal details. Importantly, SARS will not send you any hyperlinks to other websites – even those of banks.
- Beware of false SMSs.
- SARS does not send *.htm or *.html attachments.
- SARS will never ask for your credit card details.
