SA has a more independent tax ombud
Changes signed into law include the ombud’s own proposals — but some say the provision on its independence from SARS and Treasury do not go far enough
Amendments relating to the mandate and powers of the tax ombud have been rephrased to enhance the independence of the taxpayer’s watchdog. The ombud’s own proposals to enhance its effectiveness have also been incorporated into the amendments, which have been signed into law by President Jacob Zuma. The initial amendments, contained in the 2016 Administration Laws Amendment Bill, drew several comments about the lack of clarity on the ombud’s ability to initiate its own investigations, appoint its own staff and draw up its own budget. Criticism was focused mainly on the ombud’s independence from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the finance minister. A worrisome amendment initially proposed that the ombud’s office should be able to review any systemic and emerging issues or the application of the Tax Administration Act, which negatively affect taxpayers, only "at the request of the minister". A commentator described this as "entirely impractical". "The tax ombud should have...
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