South African Revenue Service (Sars) commissioner Pravin Gordhan confirmed on Wednesday that there is “money due” in back taxes from the estate of the late Brett Kebble, but did not put a figure to the amount.
Business Day reported recently that Kebble was believed to have died owing up to R100-million in tax to Sars. Noseweek reported that Kebble had not submitted an income-tax statement since 1993.
Pressed first by opposition MP Ian Davidson in the finance portfolio committee on Wednesday — and then by journalists at a press conference at Parliament — about the matter, Gordhan said: “No one is exempt from tax laws. The matter is still to be concluded. It is work in progress.”
However, he said at a press conference that from the view of Sars, “we take very seriously the confidentiality provisions [of the South African Income Tax Act]”.
He also said Sars is “very emphatic about the fact that the offices of the administration [of SARS] are required to apply the law fairly and impartially and equitably”.
Before mining magnate Kebble died last month in Johannesburg in what is widely seen to have been an assassination, and in the “context of unfounded allegations that were being made”, SARS had been in touch with his legal representative “in order to get permission to say something about his [tax] affairs”, said Gordhan.
These allegations were, in fact, unfounded, said Gordhan, who added that he is allowed to say there is indeed an investigation into Kebble’s tax affairs.
“I don’t remember the amount [involved], but a certain amount of money has been paid over. There is more money due.” — I-Net Bridge