
SARS raids mark overdue escalation in illicit economy crackdown
Search-and-seizure operations targeting customs corruption mark a move from policy to enforcement, as SARS steps up efforts against illicit trade draining billions from the fiscus.

Search-and-seizure operations targeting customs corruption mark a move from policy to enforcement, as SARS steps up efforts against illicit trade draining billions from the fiscus.

The South African Revenue Service outperformed its revised estimates for 2024/25, buoyed by strong personal income tax, VAT, and company income tax collections.

Commissioner Edward Kieswetter explains to Parliament why ‘between R700bn and R800bn is not an unreasonable amount’.

Taxpayers may struggle to challenge SARS’s authority to repatriate foreign assets after a High Court ruling upheld its powers, potentially paving the way for more assertive tax enforcement.

SARS has processed more than 1.2 million tax directives for savings component withdrawals, paying out R21.4 billion to fund members.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse highlights the need for a centralised platform for sharing information to empower South Africa’s criminal justice system.