Tax Ombudsman Judge Bernard Makgabo Ngoepe has emphasized that his office remains critical in ensuring that taxpayers are treated with the fairness they deserve. Ngoepe on Thursday released the 2018/19 Tax ombud annual report. In the report, the ombudsman highlights that the impact his office makes can be measured not just in monetary terms, such as in the form of refunds to taxpayers and by ensuring that taxpayers do not pay more than their fair share to the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
Judge Bernard Ngoepe has called for prudent spending of taxes to benefit all, instead of benefiting a few connected individuals. Ngoepe says this will make taxpayers more accommodating when it comes to tax compliance.
Themed Six Years of Bridging the Gap of Fairness and Taxpayer Rights, the report highlighted that 4 822 complaints were received in the 2018/19 showing a 1 170 increase from 12 months earlier.
Established about five years ago, as a watchdog to the revenue service, the office of the Tax Ombud has had a success of 99.27% of recommendations implemented by SARS.
In a statement, Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni has hailed the working relationship between the two entities, “In the Tax Ombud, taxpayers have a free, independent and impartial avenue through which to have their complaints against the South African Revenue Service (SARS) expeditiously resolved.”
