Sars sparks outrage

PRACTITIONERS: TAX FRUSTRATION SPILLS OUT INTO OPEN LETTER

- Amanda Visser

FRUSTRATING. Dealing with Sars has become 'inhumanely stressful'. Even those who deal with large multinationals say it is increasingly difficult, despite advances in technology. Picture: Shutterstock

(Shutterstock)

A candid letter from a seasoned tax practitioner who worked for the South African Revenue Service (Sars) for 38 years has struck a nerve across the industry, laying bare the mounting strain of inconsistent processes at the tax agency.

In her letter, Charné van der Walt - widely known as the “Lemon Lady” - recognises Sars’ responsibility for collecting tax, but argues that the way it is carried out is “sometimes unfair, often frustrating, and, more often than not, inconsistent”.

In the letter, published over the weekend by Netwerk24, she notes that she spends a third of each working day on “unproductive administration”.