SA needs taxpayers’ bill of rights, says ombud

Tax ombud judge Bernard Ngoepe has urged the government to introduce a taxpayers’ bill of rights to improve the level of accountability of the SA Revenue Service (Sars).

He has been advocating this for many years, but nothing has come of it yet.

In the foreword to the tax ombud annual report for 2018/2019 tabled in parliament last week, Ngoepe says the Sars service charter, which outlines taxpayers’ rights and responsibilities as well as the service standards they can expect from Sars, is not enough.

“What we believe is needed is a comprehensive taxpayers’ bill of rights that we would like to see being published as soon as possible. My office has already made valuable inputs towards the proposed bill of rights and now we urge Sars, the National Treasury, parliamentarians and other stakeholders to ensure that it becomes a reality.

“I am convinced it will contribute towards strengthening our constitutional democracy and, to a considerable extent, improve the level of accountability on the part of the revenue collector and support an improved tax administration system,” Ngoepe says, adding that this will also improve public trust in Sars.

The other burning issue raised by Ngoepe was the need for full independence for the Tax Ombud from Sars.

It has succeeded in having its budget approved by the finance minister rather than Sars and in getting the competence to make staff appointments on its own, but it also wants structural independence from the tax authority as it believes it must be, and be seen to be, independent of it.