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Since the introduction of the Tax Administration Act in 2011, which aimed to consolidate most of the administrative matters in tax acts, taxpayers have become ever more aware of their rights in dealing with the South African Revenue Service (SARS). There has also been a significant increase in the number of cases in the Tax Court (as well as in our High Courts) that relate not to substantive tax matters, but rather to the exercise of taxpayers’ rights. We briefly highlight below some of the rights that taxpayers have in terms of the Tax Administration Act, and which they may wish to enforce at some stage.

• You are entitled to receive reasons for any assessment that SARS raises and any taxes it imposes. Therefore, SARS is not allowed to simply raise assessments without giving you (when called on in terms of the dispute resolution rules) a full understanding of their justification and their interpretation of the law, which underlies the specific matter.
• SARS is not allowed to appoint a third party to deduct money from your account (for example, a bank) without providing you with the proper notice at least ten days in advance, as well as providing you with remedies to address the matter.
• SARS is not entitled to divulge your information (except as required by law) to any third parties.
• Provided that your returns were free of material deficiencies, SARS must pay interest on delayed VAT refunds. This is a matter that is often overlooked in practice since taxpayers are all too happy to receive the actual VAT amount – do not forget about your interest!
• SARS must provide you with a tax clearance certificate within 21 business days after the submission of an application. More and more institutions require the issuance of tax clearance certificates for general business purposes.

Although taxpayers have many rights afforded to them, one often finds a practical challenge in exercising those rights. The legislation provides for relief in certain circumstances but does not prescribe a form and manner in which taxpayers must utilise that relief (for example, an application for a reduced assessment where there has been an undisputed factual error). Although the law provides for relief, the Act does not prescribe how that relief must be exercised.

This is one of the clear shortcomings within our system of tax administration and one hopes that in due course, National Treasury and the Minister of Finance will identify these fallibilities as a systemic issue within the administration of our tax system, in order to approach the Tax Ombud to make recommendations on how taxpayers can exercise their rights afforded to them daily.

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your financial adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)