SARS’ days of hiding its bad decisions are over

A Johannesburg High Court ruling has effectively ended SARS' ability to hide its decision-making processes, ordering the tax agency to disclose the reasons behind a recent case involving Devland Cash and Carry. The court found that SARS' reliance on confidentiality was without lawful merit, and that its interpretation of the Act inhibits taxpayers' rights, leaving the agency with no choice but to reveal the information on which it based its decisions. This decision marks a significant shift in transparency for SARS.