# General Business Category > General Business Forum >  UIF - uFiling now available!

## duncan drennan

Good news! uFiling is now available  :Smile: 

You can go to www.ufiling.gov.za to file UIF returns if you are a non-SARS paying employer (if you are registered for PAYE/UIF/SDL through SARS then use the SARS eFiling website.)

This should make registering domestic workers etc., filing returns, and making payments to the UIF a lot quicker and easier.

I messed up my registration, so I have to wait for them to fix that before I can use it  :Frown:

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greghsa (01-Sep-10)

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## Martin

Yup.  Registered last month.  Filled in my first UI7 and confirmed payment today.

It just sucks that I still have to do the UI19 manually.

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## duncan drennan

UI19 is for registering an employee - when I logged in now there are options on the left to register/deregister an employee  :Confused:

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## Martin

And any changes in registered particulars.  In my case I need to submit to change the monthly remuneration for an employee.

I actually phoned the uFiling people to find out if changing the particulars on their site was enough, but I got the usual: " erm... well... if you... uhm..." response.  I just love chatting to these guys.

I'd rather just play it safe for now.

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## duncan drennan

Have you tried emailing them? I got quite good response from their email support (problems with registration). www.ufiling.gov.za -> Contact Us

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## Martin

I'll give it a try sometime this week.  Maybe my questions just need to sink in a bit  :Smile:

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## Dave A

When it comes to the "online revolution" I'm finding that everything new I do for the first time is something of a struggle. Second time round easier and after a while absolutely no problem.

Of course, then they change the rules...

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## Candy Bouwer

> then they change the rules...


surprise!

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## Dave A

I got this request via the contact form:



> I would like info on how to claim. Thanks


I've never had to go through this, but I believe you go to Department of Labour with your ID document and queue up. They ask questions, check records and give you the good (or bad) news.

Some documents that might be useful to take with you just in case:
Past payslipsCertificate of service from your previous employer
A bonus would be if you had a copy of the return submitted by the employer reporting you are no longer on the payroll - but that could be a challenge if there are other people's information on that same form as well.

There are links to pages on how to claim benefits on the uFiling home page, but all the ones I tried right now weren't working. Hopefully a temporary server problem on their end. Perhaps when you try, they might be working.

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## QUINN

I went on to the site and tried to register but the site say's registration coming soon.
Cant we register just amend existing registrations

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## duncan drennan

> I went on to the site and tried to register but the site say's registration coming soon.
> Cant we register just amend existing registrations


A note of caution here: if you are paying UIF via SARS (i.e. EMP201 return) then don't register for uFiling. If that is the case you should just submit changes on a U19-D form.

uFiling seems to be more aimed at domestic employers rather than business. If you register you'll end up with a whole bunch of returns that you can't file. Integration with SARS' system seems to leave much to be desired.

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## Dave A

> A note of caution here: if you are paying UIF via SARS (i.e. EMP201 return) then don't register for uFiling. If that is the case you should just submit changes on a U19-D form.


Which reminds me, did I mention I have now managed to raise this with both SARS and DoL? Hopefully, one day soon, we'll see the rather simple solution implemented.



> I went on to the site and tried to register but the site say's registration coming soon.


Just in case you still wish to register, try this link.

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## Gabriel Erasmus

My Bit.
If you had a decent payroll app, you could extract a file from your payroll to be imported into the UIF DB. This would be done in a matter of click- click. 

I can foresee that in the near future one will be able to walk out your employerâs door straight into the UIF office and they will know why you are there and if you qualify. The government is really getting geared

My personal opinion is that ufilling is purely enabling you to capture an employees detail on their DB, as to where you would have completed a form and they would have captured it.

Just as you capturing the employees detail in your payroll application - extract that data in an acceptable format and it can be imported into the UIF DB 

making sence?.

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## Dave A

Absolutely, Gabriel.

I've heard rumblings that SARS is going to make a payroll package available for businesses that essentially does it all. Calculates all the deductions and files your returns - all online. Some might see it as invasive, but personally I think it would be great!

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## duncan drennan

> I've heard rumblings that SARS is going to make a payroll package available for businesses that essentially does it all.


1 July AFAIK - at least for the EMP501 reconciliation. Here are some details.

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## Dave A

I see uFiling has updated their website and functionality. I got this email:




> Dear Valued Client,
> 
> 
> *  In our endeavor to continuously provide excellent service to employers, uFiling is being upgraded with new 
>   added functionality*
> 
>   Go-Live date has been scheduled for *14 September 2009.*
>   uFiling has received a complete revamp from information received from uFilers.
>   Key functionality includes the following; 
> ...


Unfortunately no sign of a link-up between the SARS eFiling system and the uFiling system yet when it comes to dealing with payments.

Damn irritating actually. I'd far rather be using uFiling to deal with my UIF returns.

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## Dave A

An update.

I decided to check what was going on with my uFiling account which I abandoned some time ago on the instructions of a uFiling agent because I pay via SARS on the EMP201 return.

Blow me down - all those returns that were marked _unpaid_ are now marked as _SARS payable_.

I phone uFiling to find out if that means what I think it does - and yes, they're matching it up with the EMP201 return. In fact, this uFiling agent says whoever told me *not* to use uFiling to submit the returns was *wrong!*

Frankly I'm rather bemused. Looks like I've got some work ahead of me cleaning up the data and submitting the outstanding returns  :Mad:

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## Blesh

Couldnt get through to the contact section for some reason. I am trying to get a letter stating something similar to the SARS tax clearance letter.

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## Dave A

> I am trying to get a letter stating something similar to the SARS tax clearance letter.


From the UIF department? You're not perhaps looking for a letter of good standing (which would be from workmans compensation).

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## Theuns.vanWyk

> An update.
> 
> I decided to check what was going on with my uFiling account which I abandoned some time ago on the instructions of a uFiling agent because I pay via SARS on the EMP201 return.
> 
> Blow me down - all those returns that were marked _unpaid_ are now marked as _SARS payable_.
> 
> I phone uFiling to find out if that means what I think it does - and yes, they're matching it up with the EMP201 return. In fact, this uFiling agent says whoever told me *not* to use uFiling to submit the returns was *wrong!*
> 
> Frankly I'm rather bemused. Looks like I've got some work ahead of me cleaning up the data and submitting the outstanding returns


I recently realised the same thing. 

Did you manage to resolve this? We have been trying for more than a year to resolve this with lots of backdated change requests, and numerous, numerous calls to the call centre. No success. No progress. Just lots ans lots of money and time spent.
And our business only has 45 employees - imagine if you are a larger business!

We declare and pay our UIF to SARS every month, and want to comply, but damn this is rediculous.
Can we submit our returns manually and deregister for Ufiling?

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## Dave A

> Did you manage to resolve this?


Yes. 

At first I tried to "dismiss" all the no longer employed staff still listed on ufiling on the day they did leave our employ, but that threw an error straight away.

In the end I just went for the "whatever works" route.

On ufiling I "fired" all the "no longer employed" staff as of the 1st of the current month (with 0 salary), and updated all the current employee details (correct starting date and current pay). Then just started filing every month from that month onwards on ufiling. 

Then for each "no longer employed" employee I completed a manual UIF return form for the month they left service, and a certificate of service, bundled the lot into an envelope, and posted that off to UIF. (Kept a copy of the lot or course, which is archived now).

Never heard a peep since.




> Can we submit our returns manually and deregister for Ufiling?


Ufiling is so painless and instant, I'd strongly recommend sticking to Ufiling from this point forward. That way you *know* the data is being captured directly into their system and there's no nonsense about outstanding returns etc. when an exployee does actually try to claim for UIF.

If the BCR system is proving too much of a PITA, do manual returns for the history and leave them to sort out the historical mess themselves, I reckon.
(The BCR system hadn't been deployed yet when I had to clean up the mess, so I have no idea how good or bad it is. If it's bad, make it their problem to clean up - just give them the data they need manually and move on).

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