DA calls on SARS to act without fear or favour in reclaiming outstanding tax debt from the ANC

4 May 2021

The ANC is possibly guilty of criminal offenses in failing to pay over millions in Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) to the South African Revenue Service, while deducting these monies from its employees’ wages.

The DA welcomes the seizing of IEC funds by SARS from the ANC as partial payment of its debt, and is calling on SARS to continue to uphold the constitutionally enshrined principles of transparency and accountability. It is imperative that SARS act without any fear or favour in reclaiming any and all outstanding monies from the ANC.

In terms of the Income Tax Act, it is a criminal offence punishable by prison time for anyone to wilfully and without justification withhold funds owed to SARS. As the withholding agent for its employees’ PAYE taxes, the ANC, just like any other employer in South Africa, is directly liable for any tax debts on its employees’ names that is incurred due to its own negligent or possibly fraudulent action.

Any suggestion of corruption on the part of the governing party must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Issued by Geordin Hill-Lewis, DA Shadow Minister of Finance, 4 May 2021