Faster audits, but tougher Sars

SURVEY: TAXPAYERS CITE FAIRNESS AND SERVICE GAPS

- Amanda Visser

The South African Revenue Service (Sars) has become more agile, but also more demanding and “information-rich”. This highlights the need to balance enforcement with transparency and support.

The latest PwC Taxing Times survey shows that although there are signs of progress with faster turnaround times and greater use of data by Sars, there are also “persistent concerns” about procedural fairness, consistency and communication.

The survey engaged 200 corporate taxpayers across 18 industries and spotlights the relationship between Sars and the business community.

Improved turnaround times

The survey shows that Sars's turnaround times to finalise audits have improved.

More than 30% of the respondents indicated that their audits were finalised within one to three months.

This is up from 28% last year and 19% in 2023. Audits lasting three to six months rose from 28% last year to 32%, while those lasting six months to a year fell slightly to 20%. Audits lasting more than a year dropped to 17%, down from 23% last year and 24% in 2023.