South African Revenue Services (SARS) official website "Latest News"
- admin74420
- Apr 24
- 2 min read
Covering recent tax updates, guidance revisions and important announcements:
🏢 Corporate income tax guide updated: new reporting requirements for beneficial ownership
On April 22, 2025, SARS updated the "Corporate Income Tax Guide", requiring that from the 2022 tax year, companies must attach a "Beneficial Interest Register" and a "Beneficial Ownership Register" when submitting corporate income tax returns (ITR14) to comply with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)'s information transparency standards.
📰 Government Newsletter (April 2025 edition) released
On April 22, 2025, SARS released the latest issue of the Government Newsletter, which includes:
Information on the employer's annual return (EMP501) starting from April 1, 2025
Updated guidance and tutorial videos for tax-free institutions
Details of SARS's collaboration with other government agencies
Changes to SARS Payment Guidelines
📄 Tender Announcement: RFP39-2024 Group Life Insurance Services
On April 17, 2025, SARS issued a tender notice to seek a group life insurance service provider for a period of 60 months. For details, please refer to the tender document RFP39/224.
🧾 Tax Practitioners Newsletter (April 2025) released
On April 17, 2025, SARS released the latest issue of the Tax Practitioners Newsletter, which includes:
How to use SARS MobiApp to assist customers
Annual reconciliation filing for employers starting April 1, 2025
Updates on the Guidelines and Videos for Duty-Free Institutions
Customs Knowledge Assessment for Certified Economic Operators
Details of SARS's agreements with other government agencies
Latest changes to SARS payment guidelines
💼 Customs Tariff Revision Notice (2025)
On April 17, 2025, SARS issued Customs Revision Notice R6129 under the Customs and Excise Duties Act 1964, details of which were published in the Government Gazette No. 5525 on April 17, 2025.
🔄 Enhanced auto-merge function
On April 17, 2025, SARS enhanced the automatic merge function to handle possible or probable matches. This function will exclude the following entity records:
Large Corporate and International Tax (LBI) Records
Collective investment plans for government agencies, municipalities, clubs, and welfare organizations
Foreign Entities Using Passport Number Books
Inheritance Cases
Taxpayers will receive a consolidated advice notice and can lodge an objection through eFiling, the SARS office or the SARS Online Questioning System (SOQ).
📜 Legal Advisor: Draft legislation open for public comments
On 17 April 2025, SARS published draft rules for the provisions of sections 77H and 120 of the Customs and Excise Duties Act 1964 for public comment. The deadline for submission of comments is 2 May 2025.
For further information, please visit the ' Latest News ' page of the SARS official website.
