
Draft amendments narrow taxpayers’ ‘bona fide inadvertent error’ defence
The proposal restricts the ‘bona fide inadvertent error’ defence under the understatement penalty regime to cases where the tax shortfall is a ‘substantial understatement’.

The proposal restricts the ‘bona fide inadvertent error’ defence under the understatement penalty regime to cases where the tax shortfall is a ‘substantial understatement’.

Half of corporate taxpayers in PwC’s latest survey express dissatisfaction with SARS’s service improvements. Only 3% report a positive shift, while audit delays and penalty disputes remain a major pain point.

Expert legal interpretations, even if contrary to SARS’s stance, may not automatically result in understatement penalties.