What’s new?
1 March 2021 – THIRD PARTY DATA ANNUAL SUBMISSIONS: 01 April 2021 – 31 May 2021: OPEN
The SARS Third Party Data Annual Submissions process for the period 1 March 2020 – 28 February 2021 opens on 01 April 2021 and will close on 31 May 2021. Submissions in respect of data files and declarations of the various reportable data types as detailed per Table 1 are now due.
This applies only to the data types listed in the table below. If you only submit Dividends Tax data, you may ignore this mail.
Table 1: Submissions 2021:
Please note:
The TEST and LIVE platforms are OPEN, you may begin testing and submitting your final, correct files as soon as you are ready. The below are suggested timelines to aid your process:
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1 March to 31 March – Gather and verify data quality, construct files
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1 April to 15 April – Submit files in the TEST environment
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16 April to 31 May – Submit files in the LIVE environment and complete declaration on eFiling
Making your submission
Please follow the following five easy steps to prepare your submission file, submit to SARS, and declare your data before the submission due date:
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Step 1: Prepare a data file as per specified BRS
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Step 2: If you have not already, you will need to enrol for Third Party Data Submission on SARS eFiling. You may use either:
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eFiling (via a data submission form with a limited volume)
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Connect:Direct® (Unlimited)
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Secured File Gateway [HTTPS] (for files smaller than 10MB)
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Step 3: To test your data file on the SARS Trade Test Platform, request access from Third Party Data Support
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Step 4: Submit the data on the SARS Production Platform using your preferred channel as per step 2 above
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Step 5: Declare a summary of your data submissions by submitting the specified declaration form via eFiling.
Important to note – procedural requirements
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We place great emphasis on receiving complete, correct and quality data submissions the first time around.
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You are urged to make use of the SARS Trade Test Platform prior to making your production submissions to ensure that your data submissions are validated. You are requested to refrain from testing your data submissions on the SARS Production Platform – this functionality will be removed in the next submission period.
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In respect of FATCA and the CRS Regulation, if you have no financial accounts to report, you are required to submit a NIL file and a declaration form as proof that you have done the required due diligence and that you declare that you have no financial accounts. This can now be done on eFiling via the FTI-01 form.
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In the event you are required to amend your submissions, please alert us of such as soon as possible and make the necessary corrections timeously.
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Please make timely submissions as late or non-submissions may be liable for penalties.
Should you experience any challenges while making your submissions, you are welcome to contact us by emailing SARS Third Party Data Support (Bus_Sys_CDSupport@sars.gov.za).
19 January 2021 – ALERT! SARS IT3 BRS (SARS_External BRS_2020_IT3s_v3.0.0-32) [FOR IMPLEMENTATION – Reporting Due Date 31 October 2021]
Dear Third Party Data Provider,
Compliments of the season!
We trust you are well and safe.
Herewith the updated SARS IT3 BRS (v3.0.0-32) for implementation from the bi-annual submission period (1 March 2021 to 31 August 2021) with the reporting due 31 October 2021.
It is imperative to note, that this updated version of the IT3 BRS (v3.0.0-32) is applicable only later in this year.
For the upcoming annual submissions period with reporting due date 31 May 2021 the current version of the BRS is applicable (v2.0.3-27).
We would like to thank you for your participation and valued inputs in the BRS review process as well as participation in the industry review workshop.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to engage us via email: Bus_Sys_CDSupport@sars.gov.za.
Kind regards,
SARS Third Party Data Support
What is it?
Third Parties (banks, medical schemes, fund administrators etc.) are required by law to send information or data to SARS via a return. This means that a bank, for example, must provide information to SARS pertaining to the interest paid on savings in taxpayer’s accounts. Medical Schemes are also required to send information on the total contributions made by individuals, expenses not covered by the Medical Aid as well as the number of dependants.
Who must submit data to SARS?
The following is a list of persons (third parties) that need to send information to SARS. It includes but is not limited to:
- Attorneys
- Banks (including Mutual banks)
- Companies listed on the JSE that issue bonds, debentures or financial products
- Co-operatives as well as any other person who purchases livestock, produce, timber, ore, mineral or precious stones from a primary producer other than for retail purposes.
- Co-operative Banks
- Estate agents
- Financial Institutions (such as Long-term insurers, Pension funds and Collective investment schemes)
- Medical Schemes
- Organs of state that issue bonds, debentures or financial products
- Postbank
- State-owned companies that issue bonds, debentures or financial products
- Any person who pays an amount of interest to or for the benefit of a foreign person (to the extent that it is regarded as being from a source in SA)
- SA resident companies, foreign resident companies whose shares are listed on the JSE, and regulated intermediaries paying dividends/foreign dividends
- Reporting institutions as described in the FACTA agreement.
What must be submitted?
The following data types are submitted by third parties:
For an overview of the data types to be submitted, click here.
When & how must it be submitted?
Why must it be submitted?
Third party data is required by SARS for various purposes in the administration of the tax Act, such as but no limited to:
- Confirm whether a person has filed or submitted the correct information in his/her tax returns.
- Ensure that the information or documents are compliant with the provisions of a relevant tax Act.
- Determine a person’s tax liability.
Need help?
Important: Insert only the data type in the subject line e.g. IT3, Dividends Tax, Withholding Tax on Interest, etc.
An example of the email structure:
Subject: Dividends Tax
Body of the email:
- Tax Reference number: XXXXXXXXXX
- Platform: Test or Live
- Submission channel: (HTTPS or Connect:Direct or eFiling)
- Detailed explanation of the query: If the query relates to system error then what is the event being executed, what are the steps completed, what is the expected system response and what is the actual system response. If the query relates to process enquiry then state the published document that outlines the process, the section and page number.
- Screen print of the error (where applicable)
To see the documents for each data type, visit the relevant data type webpage.
For a list of archived documents, click here.
