Parliamentary Correspondent
The tax authority will undertake an accelerated drive this year to collect the R44bn in undisputed debt owed at end-March by taxpayers who have contracts with the government.
“You cannot benefit from the state and not be in good standing in terms of taxes,” newly appointed South African Revenue Service (Sars) commissioner Johnstone Makhubu said in his maiden presentation on Wednesday to parliament’s finance committee on Sars’ strategic and annual performance plans.
Makhubu took over from former commissioner Edward Kieswetter at the beginning of May.
“My attitude is that if the debt has been longstanding and people have been getting frequent payment from the government, they ought at some point to suffer the consequence of their noncompliance,” Makhubu told MPs.
