27 August 2025 – In pursuing SARS’s strategic objective to work with and through stakeholders to improve tax ecosystem, Commissioner Kieswetter and his team held a consultative meeting with the Recognised Controlling Body Forum. This is a platform for strategic engagement between SARS and Recognised Controlling Bodies (RCBs). SARS sees this engagement crucial to its Higher Purpose: to help build a capable state and uplift South Africans.
The leadership of RCBs comprises the South African Institute of Taxation (SAIT); South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA); South African Institute of Public Accountants (SAIPA); Institute of Accounting and Commerce (IAC); Chartered Institute of Business Accountants (CIBA); Legal Practice Council (LPC); Chartered Government Institute of Southern Africa (CGISA); Financial Planning Institute (FPI); Chartered Institute of Management Accounting (CIMA); and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
The role and authority of RCBs are derived in law, especially in Section 18 of the Tax Administration Act. RCBs must strictly oversee the conduct of their tax practitioners to uphold trust and the integrity of the tax system. “As we expect of ourselves, and our own employees, the conduct of Tax Practitioners, must be irreproachable” said Commissioner Kieswetter. Tax practitioners are vital enablers of South Africa’s fiscal system and fiscal citizenship. In guiding taxpayers, they are also central to SARS’s strategic intent to promote voluntary compliance. As an ambassador for tax compliance, tax practitioners’ personal tax affairs must be compliant.
SARS and RCBs exchanged frank and robust conversations on crucial matters affecting them. They agreed that SARS must provide practitioners with clarity and certainty of their obligations, and make it easy for them to comply, especially when it comes to their registration to practice, as well as their ongoing renewal verification. SARS encouraged RCBs to obtain their members’ consent for compliance-status sharing.
The meeting reaffirmed the critical role of SARS, and in this regard, the contribution of the profession, for the fulfilment of the organisations mandate to collect all revenue due, ensure optimal compliance with tax and customs legislation, protecting our borders, and facilitating legitimate trade. As co-regulators of tax practitioners and intermediaries in tax and customs, RCBs have a responsibility not only to comply with tax and customs laws themselves, but also to help their members who are practitioners, and the taxpayers whom they serve, to comply. And to do so without fear or favour in a manner that remains professional, and ethical.
On the Way Forward
This strategic partnership between SARS and RCBs, to improve compliance levels and raise revenue, especially from outstanding returns and debt already due. The success of this partnership ensures an equitable tax system where more taxpayers pay what is expected in law, instead of the burden being carried on by those who are complaint. The Commissioner called on RCBs’ Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) to work with SARS and assist to regularise the tax affairs of their members and clients.
SARS and the RCBs agreed to explore ways in which the debt owed to the fiscus can be expeditiously collected within the provisions of the Tax Administration Act. To this end SARS has committed to expedite its processes to allow for collection of debt due.
The Commissioner appealed that the RCBs must assist to ensure that voluntary tax compliance is a standing boardroom agenda item.
To strengthen ongoing collaboration, SARS & the RCB’s agreed to:
- Institute annual/bi-annual strategic engagements between the Commissioner and RCB CEOs.
- Reorient the Operational Forum to champion operational issues.
- Establish a Legal & Policy Committee to tackle legislative matters.
- Set up a technical committee to resolve system and data limitations.
For specific segments, SARS will re-establish a forum with its Large Business & International and High Wealth Individual segments. Regionally, SARS will re-orient the Regional Committees to deal with daily operational issues.
SARS will also refine the Tax Practitioner Service Offering Model and engage with RCBs in its Modernisation Programme.
Commissioner Kieswetter thanked the RCBs for their key role in helping the country mobilise resources to meet national challenges. He said that “both parties emphasised the importance of constructive engagement on the challenges that they face; continued collaboration; and open communication channels to foster a robust tax and customs environment. It is critical that we deepen voluntary compliance with concomitant benefit of fostering fiscal citizenship, moral and ethical conduct of the RCBs, tax practitioners and taxpayers”. Concluding, the Commissioner said, “SARS’ collection of more than R23.3 trillion since its inception, is in no small measure because of the crucial role played by the RCB’s”.
The RCB CEOs welcomed the engagement. They embraced the spirit of a productive partnership towards voluntary compliance. SAIPA’s representative Ms Tia van der Sandt, expressed her appreciation for “the opportunity to strengthen the relationship with SARS on behalf of our tax practitioners. We believe that we are collectively responsible for building our beautiful country. Ms Sesana of SAIT said her organisation “values collaboration with SARS highly because it is a bedrock of fiscal citizenship that is a cornerstone of a successful country”, and that “for SAIT, as the largest RCB, visiting the SARS Command Centre and seeing how AI and real time data is being leveraged to move the country forward was both eye opening and inspiring.” IACSA CEO, Mr Prakash Singh complimented “the healthy discussion on relevant topics that affects the greater of South Africa”. whilst the CEO of CIBA, Mr Nicholas van Wyk expressed his admiration and “was blown away by the level of SARS’s sophistication in monitoring its operations real time”. He believes “this sets a world-class standard of excellence, including in South Africa”, and appreciated SARS engagement with the RCBs and tax practitioners for viewing them “as strategic partners in mobilising resources for the country”.
This productive engagement has strengthened the relationship between SARS and the RCBs, with Commissioner Kieswetter making a clear point that “In order for us to work in a true partnership with the Registered Controlling Bodies, and their members who act as advisors and intermediaries for taxpayers, we must hold the profession to the same high standards of accountability, both legally and morally”.
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