The South African Revenue Service (Sars) on Monday launched a mobile channel that enables taxpayers who don’t have internet connectivity or a smartphone to request certain services free of charge.
The new feature is USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data), also known as quick codes, which is a communication system used by mobile network operators to provide services, such as airtime or data purchases, to their customers.
Individual taxpayers can request certain personal income tax (PIT) services by dialling the USSD string *134*7277#.
The mobile number used when requesting a service via USSD must match that on the taxpayer’s PIT profile.
The USSD service is not available to tax practitioners.
The following services are available to taxpayers who do not have internet connectivity or a smartphone:
What’s my tax number?
This service should be used when you want to verify that you are registered for PIT. The service will display your tax number on your mobile device.
Account balance
This service can be used when you are registered for PIT want to determine the balance of your tax account. The service will display your tax balance, which includes your PIT and any administrative penalties.
Do I need to file a tax return?
This service should be used when you want to verify whether you are registered for PIT and must submit an income tax return. The reply will display the answer of either “yes” or “no”.
Taxpayers with basic standard mobile services can also select an eBooking option. When this option is selected, a Sars service agent will call you and book a telephonic appointment for the resolution of a tax-related query.
Click here for more information on how to use Sars’s USSD and SMS services.
Click here for a comprehensive guide to Sars’s mobile services.
