SARS - a four letter word?

So its that time of the year again, year end for most companies and the battles start with the so- called e@sy file system.  But, this year I have another beef with the most efficient government department in South Africa.  I am, as a VERY loyal taxpayer, desparately trying to get a Tax Clearance certificate.  On the face of it, the procedure is simple.  Just log on to your e-filing profile and apply. 3 to 5 working days later, you receive a notification in your inbox that your certificate has been granted.  All smiles, you set off at the crack of dawn to your local office, pitch a tent, and wait the 5 hours in the que to get in.  Wait another 5 inside the building and "hey presto" you receive your shiny new Tax Clearance certificate.  A spring in your step, you return to your office, humming a catchy tune confident that your tax Rand is being well spent.

In reality..... I have applied about 10 times in the last 4 months and this is how it has worked.  I apply online and get my stinky "application denied" email in my inbox about 10 days later.  So far so good - all efficient.  I then phone up SARS to try to figure out what went wrong.  I am given an answer, for example, you owe 50 cents on your VAT interest from 1929!  So I ask the fatal question - "Is there ANYTHING else outstanding"  and receive an assured "NO"  So like a good citizen I settle my 50 cents and start all over again only to be rejected AGAIN. Now the problem is that they don't have my IRP 5s from 15 years ago and want them electronically submitted.  Forget that this is 15 years ago and we were all writing them out by hand.  So off to the cop-shop, sign an affidavit, submit same to SARS, wait a while, then reapply and....  REJECTED.  Why?  My 2000 SDL returns are outstanding???  WTF people!!!  How can returns from 12 years ago be outstanding and now I only hear about them?  What about the first 10 times I applied and was rejected?  Rant, rant, RANT RANT RANT!!!!

And this, my fellow South Africans, IS the most efficient government department.  Don't believe me?  Just try to phone up the WCA.  Make sure you have facebook open at the same time because it takes them 50 minutes to answer the phone.

So - my solution?  We have many people out of work - employ them to answer the frikkin phone and update the SARS system.

So my rant for the day is done.  Love you all
xxxxxx