TAX OMBUD HELPS FARMER WITH REFUND

The Office of the Tax Ombud recently helped a dairy farmer get a R51 000 customs diesel refund due to him, on which the South African Revenue Service (SARS) had placed a “debt equalisation stopper”. The taxpayer submitted a complaint to the Office of the Tax Ombud after SARS failed to lift a stopper placed on his diesel account. The ombud recommended to SARS to lift the debt equalisation stopper and pay the refund or provide the taxpayer with valid reasons for not doing so. The stopper was withdrawn and SARS paid out the refund of R51 031 on the same day.