Pretoria 1 October 2012 – Tax Administration Act comes into effect today.
The Tax Administration Act, 2011, (the Act) was promulgated on 4 July 2012, and largely comes into effect today, Monday 1 October 2012.
Only provisions dealing with interest will come into effect at a later date.
The Act is intended to simplify and provide greater coherence in South African tax administration law. It eliminates duplication, removes redundant requirements and aligns disparate requirements that had previously existed in a number of different tax Acts. The Act creates a single, modern framework for the common administrative provisions of the tax Acts.
It also aligns SARS with international best practice and modern tax administration. Crucially, the Act seeks to achieve a balance of rights and obligations between the South African taxpayer and SARS itself. Extensive consultation was carried out, with the widest possible range of stakeholders, and their inputs were taken into consideration throughout the drafting process.
SARS is committed to the smooth roll-out and implementation of the Act, and has been preparing in this regard for some time.
