Earlier in 2020, SARS relished the fact that it had paid R2.4-billion in refunds to taxpayers, saying it was “a major cash injection into the economy at a very critical period”. But the revenue service has generally been slow to refund excess payments. The Tax Ombud, for instance, reported that in the 2018/19 financial year, 24.43% of all complaints received by its office related to delayed refunds – the second-highest number of complaints.
The serious delays often experienced by taxpayers have been the subject of a systemic investigation by the ombud, but it seems this frustrating practice will persist as long as pressure on the fiscus prevails. Fortunately, taxpayers are not without legal recourse.