CAN UNDERSTATEMENT PENALTIES BE GOOD FOR TAXPAYERS?

CAN UNDERSTATEMENT PENALTIES BE GOOD FOR TAXPAYERS

Most auditors and accountants know that SARS can open up assessments after they have prescribed, under certain circumstances – fraud, misrepresentation or non-disclosure of material fact. It is our experience, as tax dispute resolution experts, that when it comes to misrepresentation, SARS seem to believe a taxpayer misrepresented something when they can make an audit […]

ARE YOU COPING WITH ALL THE SARS AUDITS?

ARE YOU COPING WITH ALL THE SARS AUDITS

Many accounting/auditing firms seem to have noticed the increase by SARS in audits and additional assessments, especially following the repeal by SARS of the IT14SD. But what is more, is that the quality of SARS’ audits and the quality of their additional assessments seems to be improving. Given the increase in the quality of their […]

TAX PENALTIES: MORE GOOD NEWS FOR TAXPAYERS (The Coronation Case)

The coronation case - TAX PENALTIES - MORE GOOD NEWS FOR TAXPAYERS

We recently published an article titled: “Tax Penalties: Good News for Taxpayers” that centered around the judgment in CSARS v The Thistle Trust (516/2021) [2022] ZASCA 153 (7 November 2022) (“the Thistle Trust case”). In the Thistle Trust case, the court held that the taxpayer’s reliance on a professional opinion exempted, by manner of speaking,  […]

TAX PENALTIES: GOOD NEWS FOR TAXPAYERS

bona fide inadvertent error - GOOD NEWS FOR TAXPAYERS

  The Tax Administration Act, 28 of 2011 (“the TAA”) imposes an obligation on SARS to impose a penalty called an “understatement penalty” in the event that a taxpayer makes an understatement (for example by making an incorrect statement in a tax return).  However, when, for example, an incorrect statement in a return is caused […]

A CURIOUS TAX COURT JUDGMENT: SCA SETS IT STRAIGHT

A CURIOUS TAX COURT JUDGMENT - SCA SETS IT STRAIGHT

The SCA[1] recently upheld an appeal by SARS against a judgment of the tax court that Unicus Tax previously labelled: a curious tax court judgment. It turns out, taxpayers can’t rely on rule 42 of the tax court rules to circumvent provisions of the TAA… The facts of the case are briefly as follows: The […]

COURT PING PONG: TAX COURT vs HIGH COURT

COURT PING PONG TAX COURT vs HIGH COURT

  In a recent matter heard in the High Court[1], the taxpayer tried to hold SARS accountable for what it alleged was effectively a breach by SARS of its right to administrative action that is lawful reasonable and procedurally fair (the procedural issue). It turned out, however, that the taxpayer instituted action in the wrong […]