SARS are leveraging their powers under the Tax Administration Act, which provides for instances in which the Directors, Public Officers, or other representative taxpayers, can be held personally liable for a company’s tax debt!
What you think you know about tax when coming out of university changes quickly once you step into a top tax practice. Within the first few weeks on the job, I realised academic knowledge could only take me so far; the real depth begins in practice, far beyond what the lecture hall prepares you for. […]
For years, taxpayers and their advisors have relied on a small phrase in the Tax Administration Act (TAA) as a defence against understatement penalties, which can run up to 200 percent of the shortfall between what taxpayers declared and the revised assessment. But that lifeline is now on the chopping block.
South African seafarers, whose careers on cruise ships, geographical vessels or fishing vessels often take them across international waters, are currently experiencing a significant shift in how the South African Revenue Service (SARS) approaches their tax obligations. What was once a relatively straightforward process is now marked by intensified audits, refined questioning, and a request […]
For many taxpayers, especially expatriates, managing South African tax obligations from a distance can be complicated. Years may pass without any direct interaction with the South African Revenue Service (SARS), and key details like contact information, banking details, and tax number status often become outdated.
Social influencers in South Africa must declare all income, including non-monetary compensation, as clarified by SARS! On 5 September 2025, SARS issued a media release stating its zero-tolerance position when it comes to social influencers and undeclared income, but also providing clear guidance on the tax obligations of these social influencers. As digital marketing continues […]
With the 2025 annual tax filing season deadline fast approaching, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has quickly tightened its verification processes for taxpayers requesting to update their tax residency status to that of non-resident on a more urgent basis than they would have liked.
A recent Gauteng High Court judgment has brought clarity on the interaction between consolidation orders under the Companies Act and the South African Revenue Service’s (“SARS”) powers to raise tax assessments. In Prinsloo and Others N.O. v CSARS and Another (020214-2023) [2025] ZAGPJHC (29 August 2025), the Court quashed a dismissal attempt by liquidators to […]
As South Africans seek new lives and opportunities abroad, many remain unaware that their tax obligations at home will continue to follow them until they formally cut tax ties with the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Ceasing to be a South African tax resident with SARS is a critical step for expatriates who do not […]
Obtaining tax and legal certainty from the South African Revenue Service (SARS), is often the prudent approach, and which may be received as a ruling. In the normal course, the benefit derived from using a specialist tax attorney to obtain this certainty outweighs the costs involved but imagine your advisor’s request costing you more than […]