Gordhan hits back at allegations that he tried to influence Chief Justice Mogoeng
By Ntombi Nkosi
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Public Enterprise Minister Pravin Gordhan has denied ever influencing Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng saying he respects his independence.
In a statement released promptly a day after revelations emerged that he had discussed judicial matters with Mogoeng including asking the Chief Justice about the performance of his friend, KZN Judge Dhaya Pillay on the JSC interviews, Gordhan said: I have only ever engaged the Chief Justice in my official, professional capacity on several occasions, regarding matters such as:
“Recommendations of the Commission on the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers, at a time when the fiscus was constrained due to the impact of the global financial crisis; a courtesy, on the appointment of retired judges to perform certain functions (for example, on the appointment of retired Judge Ngoepe as the Tax Ombud); the separation of the budget of the judicia
Tax return says submitted on my Sars profile, yet Sars disagrees
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WATCH: VAT refunds battle won, war continues Michael Avery talks to a panel about Sars and why they are withholding some taxpayers’ VAT returns By Business Day TV - 02 February 2021 Image: GALLO IMAGES
Send in a VAT return just one day late and you are immediately penalised 10%, but Sars has been withholding VAT returns owed to taxpayers for, in some cases, years now.
The practice is particularly pernicious in the prevailing business environment in which many companies have seen cash flow dry up due to Covid-19 restrictions, and even face insolvency. The high court has now provided much needed certainty as to how Sars should behave in a vague, very technical area of law.
5 things South African taxpayers should know when SARS owes you a refund
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The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has generally been slow to refund amounts of excess payments due to taxpayers, with delayed refunds one of the top complaints that taxpayers have about the revenue service.
Law firm ENSAfrica said that the serious delays often experienced by taxpayers in this regard have been the subject of a systemic investigation by the Tax Ombud, too.
But it seems that this frustrating practice will persist for as long as the current pressure on the fiscus prevails. Fortunately, taxpayers are not without legal recourse when a refund is due by SARS.
12 tax law changes to discuss with your accountant in South Africa post Covid-19
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While the country was under lockdown, South African Revenue Service (SARS) and National Treasury have been hard at work, using this time to refine the law in SARS’ favour, says Roxanna Naidoo, admitted attorney at Tax Consulting South Africa.
These changes do not refer to the Covid-19 tax relief changes, but are aimed at closing tax loopholes and to simply give SARS and the National Prosecuting Authority more teeth.
Ask your accountant or tax advisor to help you understand the amendments and their impact on your tax planning and tax compliance strategy, said Naidoo, alluding to a number of such amendments.
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