Dear Valued Client
Following our last newsflash concerning the Advance Payment Number, SARS now invites all Importers, who currently or will potentially make advanced payments against their import commercial transactions, to a Microsoft Teams meeting on Monday 13th November 2023, 10h00.
The purpose of the session is to provide the necessary clarity and certainty in preparation for the 1 December 2023 Phase 1B delivery.
Meeting link below for Monday 13 November.
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 347 382 425 389
Passcode: dfYZf9
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What is the Advance Import Payment Notification?
The Advance Import Payment (AIP) Notification as part of the Advance Payment Notification (APN) project is one of SARS’ Customs Modernisation Programmes which involves a collaboration between SARS, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and authorised dealers in foreign exchange and aimed at combatting illicit financial flows and customs valuation fraud associated with the misuse of advance foreign exchange payments in respect of goods that are to be imported.
What is the purpose of the APN?
Advance payment notifications make it easy for taxpayers and traders to comply with their tax obligations whilst assisting SARS to detect and make non-compliance hard and costly for those traders and taxpayers who do not comply. The APN process ensures that traders notify SARS of their intention to apply to an authorised dealer for an advance foreign exchange payment for imported goods. This further prevents underpayment of customs duties and taxes, valuation fraud and illicit financial flows related to the importation or non-importation of goods following advance foreign exchange payments.
What are the obligations of importers in respect of APN?
With effect from the 3rd of December 2021, in terms of the published Rules under sections 59A and 120 of the Customs and Excise Act 91 of 1964 for Advance foreign exchange payments, importers have an obligation to notify SARS via eFiling of their intention to apply to an authorised dealer for an advance foreign exchange payment in respect of goods to be imported.
Need more information?
- 9 December 2021 – Updated Frequently Asked Questions
- 3 December 2021 – Customs & Excise Act, 1964
Amendments to rules under sections 59A and 120 for Advance foreign exchange payments were published: Notice R.1563
- 2 December 2021 – The new AIP Guide and Policy were published:
- 2 December 2021 – The Customs Trader Portal for Registration and Licensing of Customs Clients Guide was updated with AIP information:
- 2 December 2021 – The SF-CF-55 – Clearance Declaration Policy was updated with AIP information. The importer receives a unique APN reference number assigned by SARS and communicates it to the authorised dealer and inserts it on the Customs Clearance Declaration (CCD) in the additional information field as prescribed in SC-CF-55-A01. See the Annexure ‘SC-CF-55-A01 – Completion of Declarations – External Annex.pdf’: