Representatives of the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) will be in Polokwane from Wednesday to Sunday next week as part of an awareness campaign focused on the promotion of the institution’s services that are focused on resolving disputes between tax payers and Sars.
Officials will be stationed at Mall of the North entrance 1 as well as at the Game foyer where they will create an interactive experience for taxpayers, coaching them on how to lodge a complaint against Sars and to provide information on the services of the OTO in general.
The OTO will also hold interactive engagement sessions with both private and public sector institutions to promote the utilisation of services offered.
The OTO advises tax payers to submit their complaints within a reasonable time after SARS has completed its review of a complaint. “Once we have received your form, the Tax Ombud will investigate the complaint and decide how to handle it if it falls within our mandate, otherwise we will advise on alternative remedies. If there is not enough evidence to support your complaint, the matter may be closed. However, we will first give you an opportunity to substantiate your complaint or provide the necessary evidence,” the OTO directs on its website. “We strive to resolve complaints within 15 business days of accepting them, and will let you know if the complaint cannot be resolved within this period,” the OTO undertakes.
The institution is built on a structure supported by four pillars, namely the Operations, Communication and Outreach, Office Enablement and Legal Services. Each is led and supported by hard-working and committed experts in their fields pursuing excellence to ensure delivery on the mandate.
The OTO works specifically with taxpayers who have been unable to resolve a service, procedural or administrative complaint through the normal complaints management channels of Sars. It does its utmost to assist taxpayers to resolve their concerns speedily and amicably before it becomes necessary for them to consider entering into protracted court processes. In this way, the OTO facilitates access to justice in South Africa and contributes to a culture of respect for the tax system and for taxpayers’ rights.
The OTO plays a unique taxpayer complaints resolution role and aligns with the Public Protector. The Public Protector exists to ensure administrative justice by being a check on the exercise by government and its agencies of their authority, and on the other hand, the OTO exists to ensure administrative justice by being a check on the exercise of authority by Sarsa.
The Tax Ombud, Bernard Ngoepe is scheduled to engage in a dialogue with local role players in the industry on 1 July at Fusion Boutique Hotel and further details of the event will be announced soon.
Story and photo: BARRY VILJOEN
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