Latest news with #SARS
IOL News
4 hours ago
- Business
- IOL News
Tax refunds delay: SARS explains why some payments might be delayed
others may still be wondering why their refunds have not yet arrived. While some taxpayers are laughing all the way to the bank after receiving their SARS tax refunds within days, others may still be wondering why their refunds have not yet arrived. IOL previously reported that the revenue service issued 5.8 million auto-assessments this year, with the majority of refunds processed within 72 hours. SARS has paid out around R10.6 billion in tax refunds. SARS has also confirmed that, following the successful completion of the auto-assessment period, the filing period is now open for taxpayers who were not auto-assessed or who wish to update their tax returns.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
Study estimates over 9% of world's lands at high risk of animal-to-human infections
Over nine per cent of the world's land area is at "high" or "very high" risk of a zoonotic outbreak -- triggered when an infection spreads from an animal to a human or vice versa, such as the Covid pandemic, according to a study. Findings published in the journal Science Advances also estimate 3 per cent of the global population to be living in extremely risky areas, and about a fifth in medium-risk areas. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Science Digital Marketing Finance PGDM Artificial Intelligence healthcare Product Management Others Technology Operations Management Data Analytics Leadership MBA Degree Cybersecurity Healthcare Public Policy others MCA Project Management CXO Data Science Management Design Thinking Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Prof Cert in DS & BA with GenAI India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK DABS India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 30 Weeks IIM Kozhikode SEPO - IIMK-AI for Senior Executives India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIT Madras CERT-IITM Advanced Cert Prog in AI and ML India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Postgraduate Cert in AI and ML India Starts on undefined Get Details Researchers, including those from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) Scientific Development Programmes Unit in Italy, analysed location-specific information from the 'Global Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Network' dataset and the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of diseases prioritised according to their potential for causing an epidemic or a pandemic. Covid, Ebola, coronavirus-related MERS and SARS, and Nipah are among the most prioritised infections in the WHO's list. The team's analysis suggests that conditions driven by climate change -- higher temperatures and rainfall, and water shortage -- elevate the risk of zoonosis, or 'spillover events'. Live Events The study "presents a global risk map and an epidemic risk index that combines countries' specific risk with their capacities for preparing and responding to zoonotic threats (excluding SARS-CoV-2)." "Our results indicate that 9.3 per cent of the global land surface is at high (6.3 per cent) or very high (three per cent) risk," the authors wrote. They also estimated about 7 per cent of Asia's and 5 per cent of Africa's land area to be at high and very high risk of outbreak, following Latin America (27 per cent) and Oceania (18.6 per cent). Overall, the authors found that climate-related changes to the environment substantially drove a region's vulnerability to the risk of a spillover event. They wrote, "This underscores the need for continued monitoring and the integration of climate adaptation and mitigation efforts into public health planning." "Translating these risk estimates into an epidemic risk index allows for the identification of high-risk areas and supports policymakers in improving response capacities, allocating resources effectively, and fostering international collaboration to address global health threats ," the team said. A study by the Indian Council of Medical Research found that over 8 per cent of outbreaks reported between 2018 and 2023 under the country's infectious disease surveillance system were zoonotic. Of a total of 6,948 outbreaks analysed, 583 (8.3 per cent) were spread to humans from animals. Outbreaks were also found to consistently peak during June, July, and August. The findings were published in The Lancet Regional Southeast Asia journal in May this year.
IOL News
a day ago
- Business
- IOL News
SARS to provide sign language interpreters at branches for deaf taxpayers
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has confirmed that it will provide South African Sign Language (SASL) interpreters The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has confirmed that it will provide South African Sign Language (SASL) interpreters at selected branches across the country on Friday. Earlier this week, the revenue service announced the successful completion of the auto assessments period, which ran from July 7th until July 20th. The tax filing period is now under way, with individual taxpayers encouraged to file via eFiling or the SARS MobiApp. "The successful completion of the Auto Assessment period, which ran from 7 to 20 July 2025, will be followed by the tax filing period via eFiling and the SARS MobiApp for individual taxpayers from Monday, 21 July–20 October 2025," Sars said.
The South African
a day ago
- Business
- The South African
Still waiting for your tax refund? Here's what might cause a delay
Tax season 2025 is now in full swing. Auto-assessments were sent out to 5.8 million South Africans and a total of R10.6 billion was refunded. That's an average refund of R1 828. From Monday this week, it's the turn of those who weren't auto assessed to submit their tax returns on the SARS eFiling portal. Auto-assessments: 7–20 July 2025 Individual Taxpayers: 21 July – 20 October 2025 Provisional Taxpayers and Trusts: 21 July 2025 – 19 January 2026 While those auto assessed received their refunds in 72 hours – often quicker than that – those manually uploading tax returns may be experiencing delays. The list below could be the reason why … Banking details under verification If SARS flags your bank details for verification, it can take up to 21 business days from when they receive all the correct supporting documents. from when they receive all the correct supporting documents. Once verified, the refund is typically paid within 72 hours. Return selected for verification If your tax return is selected for a standard verification , the process may take up to 21 business days after submitting all required documents. , the process may take after submitting all required documents. Refunds are usually paid within 72 hours after verification is completed. Multiple tax years submitted for audit/verification When several tax years are submitted and selected for audit or verification , SARS may take up to 90 business days to finalise. , SARS may take to finalise. Only once all years are verified will the refund be issued (within 72 hours thereafter). Return selected for full audit A full audit can take up to 90 business days (from when all complete documents are received), unless SARS communicates otherwise. can take up to (from when all complete documents are received), unless SARS communicates otherwise. Refund follows within 72 hours post-audit. Outstanding tax returns No refund will be paid if you have any unsubmitted tax returns. These must be filed first. Incorrect or outdated banking details Refunds won't be processed if SARS has incorrect banking information. You'll need to update and verify your details. Outstanding SARS debt If you owe SARS money, your refund may be used to offset your debt through a process called debt equalisation. Only the remaining balance (if any) will be paid to you. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
2 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Tax season: Don't fall victim to scams, warns SARS
SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers With the 2025 tax season in full swing, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has issued a warning to taxpayers about a new scam designed to steal personal information under the guise of a tax refund audit. SARS explained that some individuals would be auto-assessed, and they did not need to take any further action if they were satisfied with the calculations. "If the taxpayer believes that SARS has not captured all the necessary information, they are free to make changes on their tax returns and submit the missing information through eFiling by October 20." The revenue collector said taxpayers who are not automatically assessed must file their tax returns themselves. Filing opened on July 21 and closes on October 20, 2025 for non-provisional individuals. However, while the streamlined process was intended to make filing easier, scammers are now exploiting the period of increased taxpayer activity. According to SARS the latest scam involves an SMS that claims that a revenue collector is auditing a tax refund. "The latest scam is a SMS indicating that SARS is conducting an audit on a Tax refund. The link leads you to a phishing website, aimed at stealing your information. See the scam prototype here". The revenue collector also advised taxpayers to verify that any emails or SMS messages claiming to be from SARS are authentic before clicking on any links. "Always make sure the email or SMS is genuine before you click on any link.". In a separate advisory, the revenue collector reiterated that it will never ask for personal, tax, banking or eFiling details via email or SMS, nor will it send hyperlinks to external websites. [email protected] IOL Business
