Tag: tax compliance

We take great pleasure in presenting the eighth edition of the VAT in Africa Guide – Africa re-emerging. This backdrop of renewal informs our theme and purpose of focusing on the re-emergence of African economies and societies which have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As the South African Revenue Service (SARS) intensifies its focus on the tax compliance of high net-worth individuals (HNWI), a self-governing island nation located in the Irish Sea has steadily emerged as an appealing emigration destination for prospective South African expatriates.

We have released a draft of South Africa’s first Compendium of Taxpayer Rights, Entitlements and Obligations, which informs taxpayers about their rights, entitlements and obligations concerning their tax affairs and engagements with the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has made evident its no-nonsense stance in media statements over the preceding months and shown that actions speak louder than words in light of the recent judgements of the Pretoria High Court on the state capture loot, and Zuma’s tax records.

It has been widely reported that SARS has committed to probing the tax affairs, and information disclosed by High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWI) on their tax returns, in order to determine their compliance with the respective tax legislation, with the establishment of the High Wealth Individual Taxpayer Segment (HWI).

As the SARS collection process becomes more technologically advanced, tax practitioners must advise clients to avoid tax evasion and remain compliant. SARS will soon become so efficient at detecting tax evasion and recovering hidden revenues, it will no longer be worth it to lie on returns.

As 28 February 2021 looms near on the horizon, so too does the deadline for the second provisional tax submissions for 2021. This February will be the most important tax submission to date for expatriates earning above the R1.25 million threshold as they will now be exposed to a previously non-existent tax liability in South Africa.

As South Africa prepares to hear Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s medium-term budget speech this week, it is becoming increasingly clear that the country needs a new post-COVID-19 approach to the tobacco industry and the growing illicit tobacco sector.

The frustration factor for taxpayers is on the rise during COVID-19, with it becoming noticeably more difficult to find fast and reliable solutions. In this environment, it is crucial to ensure you are tax compliant.

We are redoubling our efforts to create awareness about our services and protect the rights of taxpayers this filing season, with the launch of an informative digital awareness campaign #TaxpayersRightsMatter. The campaign was launched on 1 September 2020.