In South Africa, when you need to deal with tax issues, you need to deal with them through the South African Revenue Service (SARS). This is the country’s tax collection authority for South Africans. If you have questions about the SARS appointment process, you can read this article below to find out how to make a SARS appointment booking.
Prepare for SARS appointment
Before you book a SARS appointment, you need to make some preparations and know some basic details. Here you can check the following tips below.
- South African citizens must use their ID numbers to make an appointment. If you are a non-South African, you can make a reservation with the foreign passport or permit number. All applicants must provide a valid cell phone number and email address.
- You must be a registered SARS taxpayer. You are not allowed to apply for an appointment if you are not a registered user of the eFilling website, such as a registered individual taxpayer, representative, tax practitioner or a Small Medium Micro Enterprise (SMME). In addition, all personal details must be exactly the same as those registered with SARS, otherwise your details will not be validated in the system.
- You can only select one time slot for an appointment booking. Date selection should not exceed 60 days. You are not allowed to schedule recurring appointments. You can’t book an appointment prior to 48 hours on the appointment date. You can’t have an appointment on public holidays or weekends. (Except for there are other regulations from SARS.)
- If you choose video or telephone reservations, an SARS agent will assist you with your enquiry on the date and time slot of the appointment.
- If you are late for your appointment, you must make a new appointment. Or you can cancel an existing appointment if you are not available on the appointment day.
- You must ensure that you have submitted all supporting documents relevant to your query before the date and time of your requested appointment. Otherwise, SARS may not be able to assist you with your enquiry.
- If you find that you have forgotten to submit some documents after the confirmed booking, you can submit them electronically through the SARS Online Query System.
- When you want to make an appointment booking, it is recommended that you use Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari.
How to book appointment at SARS
After you know the basic details of the SARS appointment, you can try the following three ways to book an appointment, such as a phone appointment, SMS appointment or online appointment. Here you can follow the steps to make a SARS booking below.
Online
- You can visit the SARS official website on your browser.
- Then you can search SARSeBooking in the blank. You need to choose the “Type of Appointment”, such as the Mobile Text Unit, Pop-up Branch, Telephonic Engagement and the Video Engagement.
- Click on “Book an appointment.” The SARS appointment form will be displayed on the screen.
- You are required to fill in the necessary information about the applicant’s details, such as the type of applicant, email address and telephone number.
- Then you need to choose the reason of an appointment, such as the Submitting a tax return, Payment arrangements, Alternative dispute resolutions, Interpretation, explanations, or queries, Updating your payment details and Other
- After you have filled out all the accurate information, you can make an appointment by choosing the available date and time slot.
by phone
This is one of the easiest ways to make a SARS booking. Here you can check out the easy steps below:
- You should call 0800 00 7277 for a SARS telephonic appointment.
- You will be guided by a computer voice providing simple instructions.
- You must provide the ID number and other information.
via SMS
SMS is one of the most effective ways to book an appointment. The process of completing a SARS appointment is easy. You can follow the steps here:
- You need to open your SMS app on the phone.
- Then type your South African ID number or Passport number or Asylum Permit Number in the chat section and send it to 47277 to make a reservation.
- You will receive a message about confirmed SARS bookings and you will need to select the booking times.
No matter which appointment you choose, you will receive a formal confirmation by email or SMS, with a reference number after they have confirmed your appointment has been confirmed.
Temporary pop-up branches for walk-ins appointment
If you do not choose the above appointment methods to make an appointment, taxpayers can have walk-in appointments at temporary pop-up branches and mobile tax units (MTU’s) in South Africa. These branches are for specific dates and durations, and they are set up in some venues such as malls and shopping centers. These temporary pop-up branches and MTU’s will only accept walk-in appointments. You will get the confirmation SMS about the location of the Pop-Up Branch or Mobile Tax Unit.
How to cancel SARS appointment booking
If you cannot attend the scheduled appointment on time, you can cancel an existing appointment. When you complete the requestor information, you can select the option “Cancel an appointment” and complete the basic information. If you want to change a new date, you can request a new appointment to reschedule the date and time slot.
FAQ
Does SARS allow walk-ins?
Yes. SARS has issued a notice of changes to allow South African taxpayers to have walk-in appointments. They can enter the temporary pop-up branches and the Mobile Tax Units (MTU’s) at specific dates to have their tax issues done.
Does SARS have a WhatsApp?
SARS doesn’t have WhatsApp. If you would like to access reservations or other inquiries, you can contact their hotline on 0800 00 7277, which can also be used to book a SARS appointment.
How do I get SARS to contact me?
Once you have made a SARS booking, you will receive a free voice call-back service. In addition, you will also receive confirmation of your booking via email or SMS.
What do I need when visiting SARS?
After booking an appointment, you are required to bring the necessary documents when visiting the SARS branch, such as the reference number for the appointment, proof of identification and tax documents according to your purpose of appointment.
When must SARS be filed?
If you are a taxpayer who need to file a tax return next a few days, you must finish it before the October 23. It is the deadline for individual tax returns, otherwise, you need to face the ongoing monthly penalties. For those who are looking to verify tax compliance status, you can head over to our dedicated guide.
Conclusion
All in all, it is important for South African citizens to book an appointment in advance. You should prepare all necessary documents and attend the scheduled appointment on time. If you want to have the tax problem fixed as soon as possible, it is better for you to make an appointment online to ensure that you can be served with a guarantee.