New “travel passes” are being introduced by SARS for anybody entering or exiting South Africa.
All travelers would be required to use a “online traveller declaration system,” according to the South African Revenue Service (SARS)…..
According to SARS, The new system, which will go into effect on November 1, 2022, would make it easier for passengers to navigate through South African airports.
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According to SARS, the system intends to gather travel-related data and then issues a traveler permit through email.
All passengers departing or entering South Africa by plane must fill out the declaration, including South African citizens, residents, minors, and newborns. Travelers will receive a pass before boarding after completing and submitting the necessary forms, according to SARS.
Beginning with OR Tambo International Airport on November 1 and expanding to the other airports in the first quarter of 2023, the new online system will be implemented in all South African international airports, according to the revenue service.
“Instructions at the airports will advise and inform travelers as to what to do next upon arrival in South Africa,” it stated.
Currently, in terms of the declaration of goods at the airport, all people who arrive in the country are required to complete a Traveller Card (TC-01) if they have something to declare – the card is then used alongside your passport in the customs process.
Some goods that are required to be declared include things such as:
- Products purchased or acquired abroad
- Goods remodelled or repaired abroad
- Anything prohibited or restricted, or controlled under any law
When departing from South Africa, residents are further required by SARS to register valuables before their trip – this can be done at the customs office in international departures before handing luggage in.
However, tourists to South Africa can reclaim Value-Added Tax (VAT) on the goods bought during their visit to the country, added SARS.
SARS has been beefing up its tax policy and working with other institutions to ensure stricter compliance with tax law. The latest Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) annual report showed that over R41.6 million in penalties was imposed by SARS on certain people and businesses over 2021 – many of which were instances of non-compliance.
SARS has a history of keeping tabs on taxpayers. In mid-September, Tax Consulting SA noted that the taxman can track a person’s flights as part of stricter emigration processes.
Expatriate taxpayers who are waiting for clearance of their non-resident status may have their flights into and out of South Africa traced by the tax authority, according to Nikolas Skafidas, a tax specialist from the organisation.
He claimed that SARS might use flight information to investigate whether an applicant’s assertion that they intended to live permanently outside of South Africa was true.
