The South African Revenue Service (SARS) today embarked on a campaign to reduce the number of outstanding returns nationally.
Filing tax returns is a key indicator of tax compliance and tax morality. Nationally there are 6 million returns outstanding.
SARS's analysis of the tax register indicates that KwaZulu-Natal has the highest number of outstanding tax returns per geographical or residential spread. The analysis is based on residential codes and residential addresses in 11 geographical areas across the country and effectively points to the fact that the province accounts for about half of all outstanding returns nationally.
SARS's management - in partnership with the eThekwini metro council - this morning addressed a public meeting to express concerns about the low levels of tax compliance in the metro a large number of business owners and tax practitioners.
SARS will continue to engage stakeholder organizations in order to improve the levels of tax compliance in the country and will conduct similar campaigns in other cities. Two main projects will guide this campaign:
SARS will also continue its enforcement efforts against tax defaulters. In KZN 58 warrants of arrest were executed in past 3 days and a further 20 warrants will be executed tomorrow. A further 11 individuals who are refusing to cooperate with SARS will also be arrested in the province. In Gauteng 52 individuals appeared in court over the last 2 days for outstanding returns.
A further 6 will appear in court during the next 48 hours.
ENDS
ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICE
PRETORIA