sars

The 2014 Tax Statistics Bulletin shows that the South African Revenue Services (Sars) collected almost R900-million in revenue during the 2013/14 fiscal year, a 10.6% rise from the previous year.

The South African Revenue Service received more than 50 000 returns in less than 12 hours as the 2014 tax season got under way on Tuesday. Sars will deploy 14 000 officials and nine mobile units, and set up temporary service points countrywide, to make it easier for people to submit their returns.

The new tax ombud will act as a "simple remedy" for taxpayers who have legitimate complaints about administrative matters, poor service or the failure by the South African Revenue Service to observe their rights as taxpayers, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said at the office's launch on Monday.

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan praised South Africa's resilience in the face of global economic turmoil on Tuesday as he announced that the SA Revenue Service had collected R899.7-billion in taxes for 2013/14, R0.7-billion more than the revised estimate of R895-billion.