5
In summary:
This work programme sets the foundation for the modernisation of SARS over the next 5 years, and beyond. It is an exciting and inspirational journey of transformation. It will require an appropriate investment, the steadfast commitment to a clear Vision and Purpose, whilst remaining agile and adaptive in the journey against actual progress, mindful of situational and context realities, and responsive to emerging technologies and enabling capabilities. A good analogy would be how a Global Positioning System (GPS) works. The user enters a clear destination but leaves route optimisation to a navigational system that draws on live satellite information, situational and environmental factors such as traffic density and incidents, whilst allowing for detours, diversions, and important transitional waypoints. It does all this whilst continuously optimising the journey but remaining true to the destination. The historical performance of SARS, within an environment of limited “whole-of-government” service coordination, yielded above-expectation performance. Much more progress has to be made in sharpening the “service” bias from a traditional “enforcement” bias. In this regard, the taxpayer experience becomes the strategic reference point for everything we do. The commitment to our compliance theory that “most people are honest” as well as our strategic intent of Voluntary Compliance, must guide our conviction to lead with SERVICE (Clarity and Ease of Compliance), whilst we ENFORCE (Detect and Respond to non- compliance) responsibly. Collaboration with the “whole of government” is an essential component of service and enforcement. A “smart digital tax administration platform, embedded in data science and artificial intelligence” will increasingly facilitate a seamless and intuitive experience for honest taxpayers, travellers, traders, and allow SARS to detect and respond to instances of non-compliance. The platform will also enable SARS staff to act competently, professionally, and display integrity beyond reproach. The ultimate measure of success of the platform, is the achievement of SARS mandated objectives (revenue, compliance and trade facilitation), increasingly through voluntary compliance.
MODERNISATION 3.0
» PURPOSE: The purpose of building a “smart digital tax administration platform, embedded in data science and artificial intelligence”, is to foster trust, promote efficiency, and ensure transparency , by revolutionising the way taxpayers/traders and SARS engage to achieve voluntary compliance. » PRIMARY OBJECTIVE & OUTCOMES: The primary objective of the “Digital Platform Playbook” is to guide the development for implementing an intelligent data driven, technology enabled tax administration platform, in support of our vision of a “Smart Modern SARS, with unquestionable integrity, trusted and admired” that would advance our strategic intent of voluntary compliance. » The 6 OUTCOMES which will define the SUCCESS of Modernisation 3.0, include: • Improve Voluntary Compliance • Enhance Taxpayer Experience • Enhance Employee Engagement • Streamline Internal Processes • Improve Operational Efficiency • Maximise Long-term Sustainability
GENERATIONAL PROGRAMMES
The following generational programmes are implicit in the “smart digital administration platform”, contribute to our vision of a “smart modern SARS, and advance our strategic intent of voluntary compliance: 1. Prepare and upskill our staff to be relevant in the future world of work 2. Establish a unique digital identity 3. Create a comprehensive taxpayer account 4. Modernising the case management system 5. Embed an “entity-based” compliance model on the administration platform 6. Partner with SARB to leverage the instant payment system 7. Modernise VAT administration 8. Modernise Customs & Excise administration
SARS Modernisation White Paper 2025/26 – 2029/30
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