Every year around budget time, there is a surge of advice for the finance minister, with warnings about what could go wrong if he messes up. I see no relief for our new Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba as he is bombarded with advice from his fellow politicians, business, the ratings agencies and civil society. So, it was useful to read the conclusions of a recent survey of citizens in the Group of 20 (G-20) countries called "G20 — public trust in tax", which sought their views on a range of tax-related issues. SA was included in the survey. The survey was conducted by the International Federation of Accountants and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, and, among other things, it sought to establish who is most trusted when it comes to taxation. It involved 7,600 people across the G-20 countries, which account for about two-thirds of the world’s population, 85% of the gross world product and 75% of world trade. It may not be a big shock that, as the report puts it, that ...

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