SARS tax refund Qualifications in South Africa

SARS tax refund Qualifications in South Africa

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SARS tax refund Qualifications in South Africa

Tax Threshold changes for Individuals

SARS tax refund Qualifications in South Africa In June 2019, the South African Revenue Service and Edward Kieswetter, the recently appointed SARS Commissioner, announced a new filing threshold. The amount over which a person must file a tax return has been raised from R350 000 to R500 000.

Requirements

Individual taxpayers who satisfy all of the criteria below are exempt from filing an income tax return:

  • Their total remuneration is less than R 500 000 for the year;
  • They only receive employment income from one employer or one source for the year;
  • They did not receive any other form of income, such as taxable interest, rental income, business income, car or travel allowance or any fringe benefit;
  • They do not have allowable tax-related deductions to claim, such as medical expenses, retirement annuity contributions, travel expenses and s18A donations.

Submission dates

  • The tax season starts on 1 July 2019 and closes on 4 December 2019 for eFiling and MobiApp users.
  • The tax season starts on 1 August 2019 and closes on 31 October 2019 for filing your return at a SARS branch.
  • Provisional taxpayers have until 31 January 2020 to file their income tax return on eFiling.

VAT Refunds for tourists and foreign enterprises

VAT Refunds to Qualifying Purchasers, such as tourists and foreign enterprises

 

What is the VAT refund mechanism?

South Africa has a VAT refund mechanism to refund the amount of VAT that is charged at 15% and paid on the acquisition of goods by a qualifying purchaser. The qualifying purchaser must submit a claim for the VAT refund at the time of departure from South Africa or at the time the goods are exported by the qualifying purchaser from South Africa. The qualifying purchaser must fulfil the conditions and requirements listed in Part One of the Export Regulation.  Regulation R316 in terms of the definition of ‘Exported’ in the VAT Act as in GG 37580.

The VAT refund only applies to the acquisition of goods by the qualifying purchaser and not on the acquisition of services.  For more information on the process regarding the submission of a  VAT refund claim, please refer to the External Guide: VAT refunds in terms of Part 1 of the Export Regulation no. 316  and the Part One of the Export Regulation.

Special rules apply when claiming a VAT refund  on the acquisition of registrable goods and second-hand goods. For more information in this regard, please refer to the Guide and the Export Regulation.

 

Who may claim a VAT refund?

A qualifying purchaser or a qualifying purchaser’s cartage contractor may claim a VAT refund in respect of the VAT that is charged at 15% and paid on the acquisition of goods. A qualifying purchaser includes, but is not limited to, a –

  • tourist;
  • foreign diplomat;
  • foreign enterprise; and
  • a non-resident of South Africa.

For a complete list of persons that are qualifying purchasers, please refer to the definition of “qualifying purchaser” in the Export Regulation.

 

How do I claim a VAT refund?

A qualifying purchaser, may claim a refund of VAT paid on the acquisition of goods by submitting a VAT refund claim to the VAT Refund Administrator (the VRA).

The qualifying purchaser must, amongst others, present himself, together with the goods that were acquired to a Customs and Excise official at one of the listed designated commercial ports from where the qualifying purchaser will departure from South Africa. The tax invoice for goods that are not kept as hand luggage must be endorsed by the Customs and Excise official and a VRA official, if the VRA has a physical presence at the port of exit. If the VRA does not have a physical presence, the qualifying purchaser must apply in writing to the VRA. A list of commercial ports is set out below.

For more information on how to submit a VAT refund claim, refer to the Guide and the Export Regulation.

 

When will a VAT refund be considered?

A VAT refund will be considered if the following requirements, amongst others, are met:

  • The purchaser must be a qualifying purchaser as defined in the Export Regulation.
  • The goods must be exported within 90 days from the date of the tax invoice, subject to certain exceptions listed in Part One to the Export Regulation
  • The VAT inclusive total of all movable goods purchased during a particular visit to South Africa and exported at the end of that visit by the qualifying purchaser must exceed the minimum of R250 per qualifying purchaser.
  • The request for a VAT refund, together with the relevant documentation (as listed in the Export Regulation), must be received by the VRA within 90 days of the date of export.
  • The goods must be exported through one of the 43 designated commercial ports by the qualifying purchaser or the qualifying purchaser’s cartage contractor.
  • The qualifying purchaser must submit all the relevant original documentary proof as contemplated in Part One of the Export Regulations in order to prove that the movable goods were exported by road, sea, air or rail.

The 43 designated commercial ports are:

Land Border Posts        
CountryCommercial ports

Zimbabwe

Beit Bridge
MozambiqueLebombo
NamibiaVioolsdrift

Nakop/Nargos

BotswanaRamatlabama

Skilpadshek

Groblersbridge

Kopfontein

LesothoCaledonspoort

Ficksburg

Maseru Bridge

Van Rooyenshek

Qacha’s Nek

eSwatiniJeppes Reef

Mananga

Mahamba

Nerston

Golela

Oshoek

International AirportsHarboursRailways
Bloemfontein

Cape Town

King Shaka (Durban)

OR Tambo (Johannesburg)

Gateway (Polokwane)

Lanseria

Kruger Mpumalanga

Pilansberg

Port Elizabeth

Upington

Cape Town

Durban

East London

Mosselbay

Port Elizabeth

Port Ngqura

Richards Bay

Saldanha

Germiston

Golela

Johannesburg

Maseru Bridge

Mafikeng

Upington

 

How do I contact the VRA?

Contact details for the VRA are as follows:

For Potential Qualifying Purchasers:
Telephone number:  0100256371

Email address:
[email protected]
[email protected]

Website address:
https://vatrefundagency.co.za/

For VAT refund agency locations please refer to https://vatrefundagency.co.za/

 

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