Ensuring Fairness
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.
The Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) continues to receive many complaints about non-payment of refunds and delays in finalising disputes lodged. Not all complaints received within these categories are due to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) not adhering to timeframes, but rather to a lack of awareness among taxpayers about all the applicable […]
The Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) is committed to delivering a quality experience by continuously listening to customers to meet their needs. Please help us understand and improve the quality of your experience by completing the survey and sharing your experience(s) with the Office of the Tax Ombud. Your response will remain entirely confidential […]
Dear Stakeholders The Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) is experiencing unforeseen challenges with its online submission of the tax complaints system. The system is not forwarding all the complaints received to the relevant mailbox; thus, the Office is unable to process those complaints. The OTO is encouraging taxpayers and taxpayer representatives, to utilise our […]
Media statement issued by National Treasury announcing a
three-month extension of Prof. Thabo Legwaila’s term as Acting Tax Ombud.
As this is the last issue of Fair Play for 2022, the editorial team has made sure it is a worthwhile read, with insights on important subjects in the tax recourse sphere, including delays in the payment of tax refunds and a new systemic issue. We also feature a farewell message from former Tax Ombud […]
Delays in the payment of tax refunds are still the most frequent complaints lodgedwith the Office of the Tax Ombud. This is despite the OTO previously compiling ahard-hitting report on the issue, together with recommendations on how the SouthAfrican Revenue Service (SARS) could resolve the matter. Now the OTO has identifiedanother SARS practice that contributes […]
Some taxpayers may be under the impression that the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) onlyassists taxpayers with complaints against the South African Revenue Service (SARS) if there aretax refunds at stake. The case featured in this issue illustrates the OTO’s commitment to helpingresolve all complaints received, even those many taxpayers might consider insignificant.
MEDIA STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE OFFICE OF THE TAX OMBUD FOR RELEASE ON 12 OCTOBER 2022 PRETORIA: OTO celebrates nine years of ensuring fairness by helping hundreds of taxpayers secure their refunds from SARS. This includes R215 million in top 10 tax refunds collectively paid to taxpayers through the intervention of the OTO. This is […]
