TAX INCREASES NOT THE ANSWER, SARS SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter has raised serious concerns about the proposed tax hike, suggesting it may not be the best approach. Instead, he advocates for investing in SARS to help recover an estimated R800-billion in uncollected taxes. Kieswetter points out that the last VAT increase in 2018 failed to significantly boost revenue. He believes modernising SARS will enhance tax collection, broaden the tax base, and improve compliance. The uncollected taxes include around R450-billion from theoretical modelling and over R300-billion from outstanding returns. Meanwhile, National Treasury has revised its tax revenue expectations downward, highlighting the ongoing challenges in South Africa’s fiscal landscape. Full story tinyurl.com/mryswsjb (Pictured - SARS Commissioner, Edward Kieswetter)