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Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System Date: 28 Jul 2010 Title: Free State farmer sentenced for tax evasion -------------------- Pretoria - A Free State farmer has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for failure to pay tax to the South African Revenue Service (SARS). In a statement on Tuesday, the Revenue Services said Michael George Burgess of Tweespruit was sentenced after failing to pay Value Added Tax to SARS. The court initially ordered Burgess to pay R910 000 or face jail time in June 2007. At the 2007 sentencing the 49-year-old, who was a partner in a large pig farm responsible for about 10 percent of all slaughtered pigs in the province, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of contravening the VAT Act in terms of a plea bargain reached with the state. According to the revenue service's spokesperson Anton Fisher, the farmer had submitted 13 VAT returns without making payment to SARS between 2004 and 2006. "Conditions of his sentencing stated that he would not face prison provided that he pays SARS the outstanding amount in monthly installments of R35 000. However, failure to comply resulted in Mr Burgess appearing before the courts seven times prior to his sentencing on Tuesday this week," said Fisher. The 2010 tax season is currently underway. Taxpayers can request and submit their income tax returns to SARS. As in previous years, taxpayers have the option of filing their returns electronically via eFiling or at SARS branches, or manually via the post and drop boxes at their local SARS branch. SARS has posted Income Tax Return Request (ITRR) forms which allow taxpayers who wish to file manually to order a customised tax return from SARS. The tax return will contain only those income and deduction sections relevant to the taxpayer. Taxpayers who earn taxable income of below R120 000 a year from a single employer and who have no further income or deductions to declare besides those identified on their IRP5, are not required to submit an income tax return. - BuaNews |
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