Taxman has best takings yet – a whopping R2.3trn

SA Revenue Service (Sars) collected a record gross amount of R2.303 trillion in the 2024-25 tax year — 6.9% more than the previous year — and paid refunds of R447.7 billion to taxpayers, the highest amount yet in refunds.

- Ina Opperman

This represented a net amount of R1.855 trillion, almost R8.8 billion higher than the revised estimate, and R114 billion more than last year's R1.741 trillion.

Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said Sars collected more than R23.3 trillion in tax since its establishment.

While net personal income tax (including interest) was estimated to grow at 13.8% in budget 2024, by 12.3% in the medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) and by 12.9% in budget 2025, net personal income tax grew by R81.8 billion (12.6%).

That could be partly attributed to above-inflation growth in the finance and community sectors' pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) tax, as well as the gains from two-pot retirement system withdrawals, said Kieswetter.