SARS has extended the (Employee Tax Incentive) ETI scheme for another 10 years to 28 February 2029

The ETI scheme was implemented from 01 January 2014 and allows qualifying employers to deduct an incentive for each qualifying employee from the total PAYE payable for the month.

A qualifying employer is an employer who is registered for PAYE and is tax compliant with SARS.

An individual will qualify if he or she:

• Has a valid South African ID, Asylum Seeker permit or an ID issued in terms of the Refugee Act
• Is between 18 – 29 years (note that the age limit is not applicable to a Special Economic Zone as gazetted)
• Is not a domestic worker
• Is not a connected person to the employer
• Was employed by the employer or an associate to the employer on or after 01 October 2013
• Is paid the minimum wage applicable to that employer or if a minimum wage doesn’t apply, is paid a wage of at least R2 000 (where the qualifying employee was employed for 160 hours in a month) and not more than R6 000.

The ETI is calculated per employee per month using a SARS formula and can be claimed for a maximum of 24 months for any one employee. It is calculated based on the number of qualifying employees in employment in any month up to a maximum of R1 000 per employee per month.

SARS has finalised the refund process so that compliant employers can obtain a cash refund for any ETI’s not applied/used to reduce the Employee’s Tax payable at the end of each 6-month cycle (1 March to 31 August and 1 September to 28/29 February).

Employers have 6 months to rectify any compliance issues and claim the accumulated ETI for the tax year. However, if an employer is still not compliant by the end of the next 6-month cycle, any ETI refunds due will be forfeited.

DON’T MISS OUT!!!

Contact Juanita Roman or Fatima Bapukee for a fast and professional evaluation of your current ETI status and benefits.

MD Tel: + 27 (0) 21 683 4834

SARS website – click here