Let Us Handle Your SARS Audits
If you’re reading this, you likely need urgent assistance with your tax matters. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has a practice of auditing cases with large claims against income or specific claims such as home office deductions.
Understanding the Stress of Audits
SARS Audits can be stressful, especially when you’re unsure why you’re being audited. In some cases, audits can drag on without progress for over a month, adding to the anxiety as you wonder what SARS is scrutinizing. Typically, SARS takes up to 21 working days (approximately one month) to complete an audit for the current year and up to 90 working days for older tax years. If these time frames are exceeded, lodging a complaint is advisable.
The Role of Tax Practitioners
During an audit, SARS may ask targeted questions. It’s crucial to have a seasoned tax practitioner review your case, draft responses, and identify potential risks. Experienced tax practitioners are adept at addressing SARS queries efficiently, minimizing the need for further disputes. We recommend working with tax practitioners who have a proven track record and operate in the industry full-time, not just someone who does taxes sporadically. At FMJ Financial, we have been collaborating with individuals since 2010, ensuring their taxes are up-to-date and compliance is maintained to avoid penalties and other complications. Many clients come to us after their previous tax practitioners became unavailable or stopped practicing. Our longevity and consistency provide our clients with peace of mind.
At FMJ Tax Consulting, we also assist in handling your objections and specialize in assisting clients with any tax-related queries.
Navigating Additional Assessments
If SARS raises an additional assessment deemed detrimental, formulating a dispute requires expertise. Identifying errors on an assessment, documenting legal grounds for a dispute, and using the correct SARS codes in an objection notice are crucial steps. Mistakes during this process can be detrimental. An experienced tax practitioner can help avoid these pitfalls.
Why Choose a Specialist Tax Practitioner?
- Identify Issues: Specialist tax practitioners can pinpoint areas of concern or incorrect entries on a return.
- Correct Filings: If a return has not been amended after filing, we can re-file it correctly, potentially lifting the audit. (SARS generally permits a return to be filed only twice.)
- Audit Scope Knowledge: Some cases are reviewed rather than audited. Different audit scopes require different expertise.
- Document Handling: Specialists know which documents to send to SARS, avoiding further queries and shortening the audit period.
- Pre-Audit Recommendations: Specialists can predict audit failures and recommend changes before SARS escalates the audit or raises an additional assessment.
- Error Identification: In the event of an additional assessment, specialists can quickly identify errors and implement a plan of action to object to the return.
At FMJ Financial, we pride ourselves on being industry specialists. Our daily interactions with individuals and the volume of cases we handle have honed our expertise. We are not just qualified; we are also highly experienced tax consultants. Don’t settle for someone who handles taxes sporadically. Trust the specialists at FMJ Financial.
Contact us for your assessment today. Its easy!*
- Request an initial assessment (T’s and C’s apply)
- Tell us what you need help with on our contact form
- Give us your contact details so we are able to give you feedback and a plan of action
