SARS exceeded all expectations by collecting R183,628 billion in gross tax revenue whilst the original budgetary target for gross tax revenue was estimated at R179,198 billion. This means that SARS collected R4,430 billion more in tax revenues than estimated. In addition, R2 billion was included in the budget target of R179,198 billion as an efficiency gain, so in effect R6.430 billion additional revenue was collected by SARS. The Minister of Finance, Mr Trevor Manuel released the preliminary estimates of the outcome of the 1998/99 budget.
Never before has SARS contributed more positively towards the fiscus. SARS collected more than R21 billion in tax revenue in March 1999, which is the highest amount of taxes ever collected for any one month in South Africa!
All this could not be achieved without the support of loyal taxpayers. SARS would like to thank each individual and corporation for their co-operation towards payment of taxes.
SARS is committed to better service delivery towards the tax compliant citizen, as well as to rigorously clamping down on tax evasion, fraud and corruption. Even though SARS is still on its way towards achieving these goals the organization is enthusiastic to build on the results already achieved and is working full steam ahead to reach the tax revenue target of R193 billion for the 1999/2000 budget year.
ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICE
PRETORIA