Welcome to our special edition newsletter, a heartfelt reflection on 12 years of fairness, transparency, and service excellence at the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO).
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Ensuring Fairness
Ensuring Fairness
Welcome to our special edition newsletter, a heartfelt reflection on 12 years of fairness, transparency, and service excellence at the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO).
We refer to the media statement issued by the OTO on 1 October 2025 inviting stakeholders to provide written comments on OTO draft report into alleged e-filing profile hijacking. The OTO hereby invites you to a virtual public workshop to discuss issues raised in the written comments. The details to the virtual public workshop are […]
The Office of the Tax Ombud proudly announces the reappointment of Tax Ombud, Ms Yanga Mputa, as a Board Member of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) Women in Tax Network (AWITN). This prestigious appointment was confirmed during the ATAF Annual Meeting held from 3–7 November 2025 in Algiers, Algeria. Ms Mputa’s visionary leadership and […]
The Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) today,1 October 2025, publishes the Draft Report into alleged eFiling Profile Hijacking for public comment. The closing date for submissions is 31 October 2025. The draft report follows a systemic investigation conducted by the OTO into alleged eFiling profile hijacking. The investigation commenced in August 2024, following approval […]
SARS and the OTO note with concern the recent article published by Sowetan regarding the rising number of SARS eFiling profiles reportedly hijacked by cyber-fraud criminals, resulting in significant financial losses for taxpayers. At the time of the article’s publication, the OTO had not yet released the draft report for public comment, and the article […]
2 July 2025: The Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) announces the postponement of the publication of the draft report on its investigation into alleged SARS eFiling profile hijacking, initially scheduled for release for public comment on 7 July 2025. This decision follows a formal request from the Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service […]
The Office of the Tax Ombud hereby invites you to a virtual engagement where the Tax Ombud, Ms. Yanga Mputa, will share preliminary findings on eFiling Profile Hijacking Survey. The survey was conducted as part of the OTO’s efforts to gather information for ongoing systemic investigation into this matter.
Taxpayers often find themselves caught in complex disputes due to administrative errors or delays by SARS in processing their objections. When these issues result in unfair financial burden, the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) serves as an independent mediator, ensuring that taxpayers are treated fairly. In this case, the OTO played a crucial role in […]
On 15 August 2024, the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) announced that it sought and obtained approval from the Minister of Finance to conduct a review of possible systemic and emerging issues related to alleged SARS’s service failures in assisting taxpayers with eFiling profile hijacking timeously in terms of section 16(1)(b) of the Tax […]
Following the tabling of the Office of the Tax Ombud (“OTO”) 2023/24 Annual Report by the Minister of Finance in Parliament on 18 September 2024, today, on 6 November 2024, – the OTO launched its 2023/24 Annual Report in collaboration with the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (“SACCI”). In demonstrating its commitment […]
The Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) today, 1 October 2024, launches its annual awareness campaign themed “Be A Smart Taxpayer”. The campaign aims to empower taxpayers to be smart, promote taxpayer rights and embrace tax compliance. It also serves to maximise awareness about the OTO brand and encourage taxpayers to utilise the free services […]
The Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) confirms that it has sought and obtained approval from the Minister of Finance to conduct a review of possible systemic and emerging issues related to alleged SARS’s service failures in assisting taxpayers with eFiling profile hijacking timeously in terms of section 16(1)(b) of the Tax Administration Act 28 […]
The South African Revenue Service’s (SARS) action of incorrectly invalidating objections is one of the issues raised and addressed in the Tax Ombud’s Systemic Investigation Report (2020), which concluded that there was a 31% error rate where objections were incorrectly invalidated for various reasons. The case below illustrates another instance of SARS incorrectly invalidating an objection.
The OTO does not only help speed up the resolution of taxpayer complaints and get the South African Revenue Service (SARS) to pay refunds due, however there are also instances where the OTO secures taxpayers thousands of rands in interest thereon. The case in this issue is an example.
October 2023 marked the OTO’s 10th anniversary, and we are taking our stakeholders down memory lane by publishing this birthday issue. It chronicles our history and 10 years of ensuring fairness, and includes successes and challenges. Through illustrations and words, it tells the rich history of how an idea was converted into an important institution […]
Deregistering as a VAT vendor can be challenging, as the case below illustrates, where the South African Revenue Service (SARS) delayed deregistering a taxpayer’s VAT profile for over a year.
On Thursday 19 October 2023, the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) at the University of the Western Cape’s (UWC) will host a stakeholder engagement presentation by the Office of the Tax Ombud ( OTO) for staff, students and industry partners. The event is scheduled for 11am in the Senate Building. Dean of EMS Professor […]
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.
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 […]
Media Statement by the Office of the Minister of Finance, Mr Enoch Godongwana regarding the appointment of the Acting Tax Ombud, following the expiry of the term of office of the first and only Tax Ombud, Honourable Judge Bernard Makgabo Ngoepe.
Nine years have passed in a flash and the Fair Play editorial team is grateful to have been part of the Office of the Tax Ombud’s success over the years. With the support of stakeholders at large, the OTO has positioned itself as a brand that promotes a fair tax administration system, with taxpayers’ rights […]
In July 2022, SARS issued more than three million income tax auto-assessments to individual non-provisional taxpayers. It is crucial to understand that the process for dealing with auto-assessments is slightly different from when an income tax return is submitted manually. If the wrong procedure is followed, it could have serious consequences for taxpayers.
Comments delivered by Tax Ombud, Judge Bernard M. Ngoepe at the SAIGA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2022. The theme of your conference is; “Step up to the mark and put citizens first”. Within the context of the above theme, the question I am asked to address specifically is: “How can South Africa overcome its obstacles”. Both the […]
When a tax complaint deals with more than one issue, it may lead to confusion at the South African Revenue Service (SARS), as the case below shows.
Welcome to our second quarter issue of Fair Play! We are excited about this issue because the Office of the Tax Ombud’s educational campaign continues to provide insights on promoting Taxpayers’ rights during the SARS’s Tax Season. The OTO’s #TaxpayersRightsMatter campaign aims to educate taxpayers about their rights, what they mean, and when they should […]
The Office of the Tax Ombud is pleased to share the 17th issue of its monthly case study newsletter Fairness for All. The newsletter seeks to educate taxpayers about the types of taxpayer complaints lodged with the OTO and how these are resolved. In the current issue, we showcase one of the challenges taxpayers experience […]
In 2017 the OTO issued a report after finalising a systemic investigation into what caused delays in SARS paying refunds to taxpayers. One of the issues identified was that SARS delays the revision of assessments after disputes have been finalised. The primary issue noted by the Tax Ombud was that there is no prescribed timeframe […]
The theme of the current edition is “Balancing taxpayers’ rights and obligations”, and the articles and insights featured in this issue seek to do precisely that by providing informative material on the topic.
Taxpayers regularly experience challenges with IRP5 certificates, either with incorrect information reflecting on the certificates or not receiving the IRP5 certificates from their previous employers. It is important to note that the above issues should be directed to employers and not the South African Revenue Services (SARS). However, the case below, which can be taken […]
The OTO has discovered a previously unidentified issue relating to SARS repeatedly conducting verifications that could be contributing to delays in the revenue authority finalising assessments. This issue was found during an analysis the OTO has been conducting to determine possible root causes of certain delays in paying out refunds, specifically in cases where SARS […]
On 7 April 2022, Tax Ombud Judge Bernard Ngoepe published the Compilation of Taxpayers’ Rights, Entitlements and Obligations. He expressed gratitude to all stakeholders who heeded calls for public comments on the draft Compilation released two months ago.
The Tax Ombud, Judge Bernard Ngoepe, is pleased to share South Africa’s first-ever Compilation of Taxpayers’ Rights, Entitlements and Obligations. The document was compiled by the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) with inputs from numerous stakeholders in and outside the tax sphere. Thank you for your contribution and support over the years, and we […]
Before releasing tax refunds, SARS is by law allowed to conduct verifications when it identifiesrisks, but it is not common to do so multiple times for the same tax year and request the samedocuments.
The theme of this edition is “Embracing taxpayer rights and obligations”, underlining the ongoing efforts of the Office of the Tax Ombud to ensure fairness when taxpayers deal with SARS.
The case below details how the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) assisted a taxpayer with a complaint where the South African Revenue Service (SARS) had failed to pay out the diesel refund in respect of the 04/2021 value added tax (VAT) period.
On 1 February 2022, the Tax Ombud, Judge Bernard Ngoepe, 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) and the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO). The […]
In the case below, both the taxpayer and SARS failed to follow the correct procedures, resulting in a cycle of invalidations of the taxpayer’s objection.
This The celebration of the OTO’s 8th anniversary is an exciting milestone. During this period, the Office has taken great strides to make a difference to the lives of taxpayers through its free and fair intervention when taxpayers have complaints about SARS.
It sometimes happens that taxpayers and taxpayer representatives appeal a decision made by the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) regarding complaints lodged. When this happens, the matter is referred to the OTO’s Appeal Committee, chaired by the CEO of the Office, Professor Thabo Legwaila. The case below is an example of a tax complaint […]
The case below describes how SARS delayed payment of a refund to a taxpayer, even after it had allowed an objection to the assessment raised, by repeatedly paying the refund and then recalling it immediately from the taxpayer’s bank account.
The Office of the Tax Ombud’s (OTO) eighth anniversary celebration today, 1 October, coincides with the launch of its 2021 educational campaign to intensify awareness about taxpayer rights and promote tax compliance during the current tax season of the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
Welcome to the 21st issue of our newsletter, themed The Right to Know About Your Tax Matters. This issue comes at a crucial time, during the SARS tax season, when many individuals and businesses file tax returns.
We are in the middle of the tax season, with taxpayers filing their tax returns and some experiencing challenges with the revenue collector. One of these challenges involves SARS taking money from taxpayers’ bank accounts through a process called Third Party Appointment (TPA). In many instances, this process is done correctly, but there are also […]
The Tax Season is upon us, and as per tradition, the OTO expects an influx of complaints from taxpayers. Some of the issues might seem small but have serious financial implications for taxpayers. The case below involves SARS delaying finalising the verification of a VAT period which subsequently led to a delay in the verification […]
The Office of the Tax Ombud is committed to helping improve the country’s tax administration system by, among others, protecting taxpayers’ rights. But there are instances where the actions of tax complainants are questionable, and the Tax Ombud would rule in favour of the South African Revenue Service or reject a tax complaint outright. Remember, […]
In this issue we feature a critical intervention by the Office of the Tax Ombud that earned the Office a testimonial from a taxpayer. The intervention led to SARS paying the taxpayer R86 573.64 in VAT refunds, inclusive of interest. The OTO reiterates that while it will do everything possible to protect taxpayers’ rights, it […]
Welcome to the latest edition of Fair Play, the OTOs stakeholder newsletter. In this edition, we consider how taxpayers can, and should, take charge of their tax affairs.
In this issue we discuss a critical intervention by the Office of the Tax Ombud that led to SARS refunding close to R196 000.00 to a taxpayer after the money was unfairly taken from its bank accounts. The Tax Ombud Judge Bernard Ngoepe always reiterates the importance of tax compliance and the rights of taxpayers […]
The Tax Ombud Annual Performance Plan (APP) 2021 -22 has been tabled in Parliament.
Welcome to the nineteenth edition of Fair Play, the OTOs stakeholder newsletter. In this edition, we look at taxpayers’ rights, and the balance of power between SARS and taxpayers. Click the link below to read the full newsletter or find it on our Publications Page.
An Ombud is an independent and impartial officer who deals with complaints about an organisation or agency, whether private or public. Typically these complaints involve issues that the organisation or agency has been unable or unwilling, to resolve to the complainant’s satisfaction.
In the November edition of Fairness for All, we discussed a case where the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) highlighted SARS’s conduct in withholding refunds for periods not under verification or audit. In that case, SARS only instituted an audit when its action was challenged by the OTO. This delayed response was seen as […]
As a result of the huge demands on the Fiscal because of the COVID-19 virus pandemic, we have possibly entered a period during which tax collection dynamics are going to change, in particular between the taxpayer and the revenue collector, SARS. Understandably so, a lot of money is going to be needed. Delayed payment of […]
In one case, SARS had been sitting on a R5m VAT refund dating back to 2016. Read now
The Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) is pleased to present to you the second issue of Fairness for all, the Office’s informative monthly newsletter, featuring important case studies. The current issue features a crucial case which saw highly questionable actions by the revenue collector, several contraventions of tax legislation, and a possible abuse of […]
Welcome to the first issue of Fairness for all, the Office of the Tax Ombud’s (OTO) informativemonthly newsletter, featuring important case studies.The publication will focus only on the tax complaints the OTO receives, how these complaintsare resolved, as well as the reasoning behind the decisions made. In addition, the case studiesfeatured can help taxpayers and […]
The Tax Ombud is set to be structurally independent of the South African Revenue Service (SARS). This after Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said more funds will be made available to the office of the ombud. The ombud previously said SARS has too much power and an office to counteract that was needed. Read now
The office said more than 99{ae53aa5df03dcfeb3eeae1da0186263c804cee5c942a333f37d5dc41017ba8d4} of its recommendations were implemented by the revenue collector, but the payment of refunds remained an ongoing issue. Read now