A draft report by the Office of the Tax Ombudsman has found that the mechanisms put in place by the South African Revenue Service to assist taxpayers who fall victim to eFiling profile hijacking are inadequate and ineffective. According to the report, which was released on Wednesday, tax practitioners are more susceptible to eFiling profile…
The South African Revenue Service (Sars) and the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) have dismissed a report that as many as 16 000 eFiling profiles have been hijacked, with taxpayers losing refunds to cybercriminals. The Sowetan reported on Friday that cybercriminals were increasingly breaching Sars’s systems, raising questions about the security of taxpayer data. But…
The SARS VAT system has not been substantially upgraded in over a decade. Two years after the South African Revenue Service (SARS) began work to modernise the value-added tax (VAT) system, the agency is preparing to release a consultation paper “in due course”. This follows National Treasury’s mid-August tabling of the 2025 Draft Tax Administration…
SARS expects crypto-assets to be treated with the same level of diligence as traditional financial instruments. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) this week published draft regulations for the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) and is inviting the public to comment. This marks an important step in bringing South Africa in line with global standards on…
SARS commissioner Edward Kieswetter takes home the government technology leader award. (Photograph by SITA) South African Revenue Service (SARS) commissioner Edward Kieswetter walked away with the coveted technology leader award at this year’s Digital Public Service Awards. Hosted on the sidelines of the State Information Technology Agency’s (SITA’s) GovTech 2025 conference, the awards recognise excellence,…
Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter The South African Revenue Service is sticking to its guns over taxing social influencers and plans to conduct outreach programmes so that they know what is expected from them. No matter how influencers are remunerated – whether with products, services or travel – all of these are deemed as income according…
SARS commissioner Edward Kieswetter. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is calling on social media influencers to declare their earnings, warning that income received in cash, products or services is taxable under the Income Tax Act (ITA). This comes as the country sees a surge in influencers, driven by expanding digital connectivity and the rise…
The South African Revenue Service (Sars) has entered its AI era — and the taxman is watching more closely than ever. With artificial intelligence now scanning bank records, crypto trades, and lifestyle mismatches, there’s nowhere left to hide. Sars is modernising its operations by integrating advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen tax…
SARS commissioner Edward Kieswetter. More than three-quarters of taxpayers have already received auto-assessments, and refunds worth R10.6 billion have been paid out, according to the South African Revenue Service (SARS), as its investment in artificial intelligence (AI) begins to show significant returns. The auto assessments and refunds were processed ahead of the official start of…
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for an advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) system featuring “digital twinning” capabilities. This initiative aims to enhance automated decision-making and is a key part of SARS’s broader strategy to modernize its IT platforms and significantly boost tax collection. Read: Honor unveils the world’s…
