In a bid to improve service delivery, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has rolled out an enhanced complaints process through its e-Filing system. This initiative aims to streamline how complaints are lodged, tracked, and resolved, ensuring a more efficient and user-friendly experience for taxpayers, traders, and their representatives.
What is a Complaint?
A complaint is defined as a grievance or dissatisfaction experienced by a taxpayer, trader, or representative in relation to any process—such as queries, returns, or service requests—that has not been adequately resolved by SARS. Recognizing the need for a structured approach to handle these issues, SARS has introduced a new complaint management process designed to address various concerns.
Categories of Complaints
SARS has identified several categories for complaints to help better classify and address issues:
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Legal/Policy Issues: Complaints related to policies or regulations, such as debit cards not being accepted for payments.
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Employee Behaviour/Competence: Concerns about rude behavior or lack of knowledge from SARS staff.
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Channel Experience/Technical Issues: Problems with contact center responsiveness or branch facilities, such as inadequate parking.
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Quality and Speed of Service: Issues related to incorrect resolutions or prolonged processing times.
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Unresolved Service/Operational Matters: Complaints about delays, such as unprocessed returns.
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Missing or Lost Documentation: Instances where submitted documents, like returns, cannot be located by SARS.
Enhancements to e-Filing
The redesigned e-Filing system aims to enhance user experience through improved design, navigation, and accessibility. This redesign not only aims to make the platform more user-friendly but also to bolster security and confidence in handling taxpayer information.
Features for Individual Taxpayers
-e-Filing Dashboard: The enhanced dashboard provides easy access to key services, including:
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Online Booking for appointments with SARS
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Statement of Account
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My Compliance Status
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SARS Registered Details
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Notice of Registration
Complaints Management: Under the ‘Services’ menu, users can find the Complaints Management tab. By clicking ‘Complaints’ and then ‘New Complaint,’ an information screen will appear detailing the difference between a complaint and a dispute.
For individual profiles, users can proceed by clicking ‘Next’ after reviewing this information.
Features for Tax Practitioners and Organisations
Complaint Submission: Tax practitioners and organisations can select between a ‘General’ or ‘Taxpayer Related’ complaint. Choosing ‘Taxpayer Related’ provides an option to search for and select a taxpayer from the practitioner’s portfolio.
Complaints Management Form (CM01): The form will pre-select the complainant details based on whether the complaint is from a taxpayer or a tax representative.
Users must specify whether the complaint pertains to Tax or Customs, with various types of taxes and customs duties available for selection.
Complaint Categories: The form will adjust according to the selected category, including options such as Unresolved Service/Operational Matter, Missing Documentation, Legal/Policy, Employee Behaviour/Competence, Channel Experience/Technical Issues, and Quality and Speed of Service.
Additional Features
Querying Complaint Status: Users can check the status of their complaint through the “Query Complaint Status” button on the work page.
Uploading Supporting Documents: Users can upload necessary documents via e-Filing. Accepted file types include .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .jpg, and .gif, with a maximum file size of 5MB and up to 20 documents allowed per complaint.
Viewing History and Correspondence: Once a complaint is submitted, users can view the form in the Complaints History menu and access all correspondence related to the complaint from the Complaint Management Work Page.
This revamped complaints process within e-Filing is a significant step toward better addressing the concerns of South Africa’s taxpayers and traders. By improving the efficiency and transparency of complaint management, SARS aims to enhance overall service delivery and user satisfaction.
