South African Revenue Service (SARS) Commissioner Dr Johnstone Makhubu said sustainable revenue growth depends on economic expansion, investment, job creation and improved tax compliance.
The Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement projects revenue increasing from R2.14 trillion in 2026/27 to R2.53 trillion by 2029/30.
Makhubu said SARS will use artificial intelligence (AI) agents during the second half of the financial year to strengthen debt collection and improve compliance. He said the technology will handle simpler cases, allowing staff to focus on more complex and higher-value debt.
“We are employing AI agents in the second half of the year to be able to say that if you owe us R5,000, we will leave the collection of that onto an AI agent to engage you,” Makhubu said.
He added that the approach would free up staff to pursue more complicated cases, while helping SARS recover outstanding revenue.
Makhubu stressed that every rand recovered through compliance interventions helps protect honest taxpayers and supports government’s revenue collection efforts.
VOC News
Photo: X/ @sarstax
