Tag: taxpayer

Filing season opened on 1 July 2021, with a significant number of taxpayers being assessed automatically. So, should you file a return this year or not?

Too often, taxpayers seem to forget that the most important aspect of dealing with SARS is to ensure that they can discharge their burden of proof. As a taxpayer, it is on you to provide SARS with the relevant material that, on a balance of probabilities, supports your position. 

Taxpayers were listening very closely as Tito Mboweni delivered his annual budget speech. Taxpayers can however breathe a sigh of relief as no increases in tax rates will be incurred despite a year of national lockdown and the roll out of the vaccine.

The days where SARS shuts its eyes to taxpayers’ offshore holdings are thing of the past. SARS is finally utilising the Automatic Exchange of Information regime to pin down taxpayers who have not disclosed their offshore interests and numerous taxpayers have already received some alarming notices to this effect.

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.

In the attached video I have provided practical, easy-to-understand guidance on how to harness the SARS online portal to make key changes to your details.

While a tax judgment may have all the effects of a judgment, it is not a judgment in the ordinary sense, but rather an enforcement mechanism for the recovery of tax. If a person has an outstanding tax debt, SARS may, after giving at least 10 business days’ notice, file with the court’s registrar a certified statement setting out the amount of tax payable.The effect of such filing is that it must be treated as a civil judgment lawfully given in favour of SARS for a liquid debt for the amount specified in the statement.

Speak to any individual taxpayer and tax practitioner these days and no doubt ‘auto assessments’ will feature in the conversation. Whilst many agree that the auto assessment process is a good idea and there is appreciation of SARS’ intention to simplify tax compliance, there are mixed feelings regarding the implementation and practicality thereof.

The 26th week of 2020 will prove decisive in the South African political sphere. The business rescue practitioners appointed to try and resurrect South African Airways (SAA), after three extensions and extensive (and perhaps unlawful) interference by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), published the proposed business rescue plan on 16 June. The plan, however, is more of a pipe dream than anything else. The political drama about to unfold would be majestic to behold if it were playing out on television. Unfortunately, this is all but fiction.

Section 179 of the Tax Administration Act, 2011 allows SARS to issue a notice to a person who holds or owes money, including a pension, salary, wage or other remuneration, for or to a taxpayer, requiring the person to pay the money to SARS in satisfaction of the taxpayer’s outstanding tax debt.