Ensuring Fairness
Having stood the test of time as a capable organisation with a proven track record in helping to resolve taxpayers’ complaints against the South African Revenue Service (SARS), the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Established on 1 October 2013, the OTO has been credited with improving the country’s tax […]
Many taxpayers are unaware that they have a right to approach the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and request remission of administrative penalties. Although SARS has many options for dealing with such requests, including allowing, partially allowing or disallowing requests, the revenue collector must respond within a reasonable time. The case below, a rare complaint […]
PRETORIA: The Tax Ombud is at the Fourways Mall this week helping taxpayers who have tax complaints against the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Since Tuesday, 22 August 2023, taxpayers have been benefitting from the Tax Ombud’s initiative to take services to the doorsteps of communities. The campaign at Fourways Mall ends on Monday, 28 […]
Welcome to Women’s Month, where we acknowledge and celebrate women’s incredible contributions in the tax sphere. The timing could not be better to welcome our new Tax Ombud, Ms Yanga Mputa. We look forward to her tenure as head of this important institution.
PRETORIA: Making Taxpayers’ Rights Matter, the educational campaign of the Office of the Tax Ombud, is launching today, 1 August 2023, coinciding with the ongoing South African Revenue Service (SARS) Tax Season, launched on 7 July. The OTO campaign encourages and reassures taxpayers of continued and intensified promotion and protection of their rights, and embraces […]
The Minister of Finance, Mr Enoch Godongwana has in terms of section 14 of the Tax Administration Act, of 2011, appointed Ms Yanga Mputa as the Tax Ombud effective from 1 July 2023. Ms Mputa becomes South Africa’s first female Tax Ombud. The appointment is for a period of 5 years.
The Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) does not often receive cases involving Turnover Tax Return (TT03) complaints against the South African Revenue Service (SARS) but ensures that when it does, such matters are efficiently dealt with. The case below, which helped secure a tax refund of over R24 000, illustrates the OTO’s commitment to […]
As we prepare for the new Tax Season, this edition of Fair Play covers various issues of interest to taxpayers and tax practitioners, especially when they believe they are not receiving fair treatment from the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
Delays in the payment of tax refunds continue to affect taxpayers. This is despite theTax Ombud identifying certain root causes of the delays as systemic issues – meaningproblems that are regarded as the underlying cause of a tax complaint that affects orwill affect a number of taxpayers.
Ten years has a special ring to it, and for the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO), it represents commitment and achievement. We are excited to be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the OTO, which by now has a substantial track record in serving as a free, fair recourse mechanism for South Africa’s taxpayers.