SARS can take money directly out of your bank account without warning

• SARS can withdraw money from a bank account without warning, even if the funds have been moved around and the account owner isn't the one who directly owes SARS the money.
• A September court ruling showed SARS' powers in finding and recovering money owed to it, including tracking down R900,000 transferred across bank accounts.
• The court ruled that SARS had acted lawfully, using Section 179 of the Tax Administration Act to recover the money, and that issuing a final demand would have prejudiced the collection of the tax debt.