Office of Tax Ombud to inform public on its services

Representatives of the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) were scheduled to conduct an awareness campaign focused on the promotion of the institution’s services at two venues in the city this week.
Officials of the OTO were to be deployed at Mall of the North at the Game foyer as well as at Mugg & Bean in Savannah Mall since yesterday (Wednesday) and planned to be in attendance until Sunday. They intend to 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 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 SARS.
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 Tax Ombud, Bernard Ngoepe is scheduled to engage in a dialogue with local role players in the industry on 1 July at a venue in the city and according to the organisers, the event is already oversubscribed due to overwhelming interest.

Story: BARRY VILJOEN
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