An ANC flag waves at the party’s 105th birthday celebrations – Photo: Rapitse Montsho / Flickr
An ANC flag waves at the party’s 105th birthday celebrations – Photo: Rapitse Montsho / Flickr
What an unholy mess we’ve got here. It was revealed on Monday that the ANC has failed to settle an outstanding tax bill worth more than R100 million with SARS, and the taxman is now planning to come down hard on the ruling party.
How much unpaid tax does the ANC owe SARS?
It’s no secret that the ANC are in a diabolical financial state. Employees went months without payment in 2021, before the dispute was eventually settled. However, this did very little to balance the books, and the 110-year-old institution has allegedly been cutting corners with its tax bills.
Employee tax, UIF levies, and skills development payments have all been withheld from the state, according to reports filed earlier this afternoon. It has left the ANC with an eye-watering arrears of R102 million. SARS have been sitting on this bombshell for months – but only now will the revenue collection agency roll up its sleeves.
ANC set for tax showdown with SARS
Failure to settle the bill will prompt SARS to have assets attached to the legal case – meaning that property belonging to the ANC could soon be reclaimed by the taxman. It’s a scarcely-believable situation, but the ailing institution is struggling to raise funds while trying to retain its grip on power.
SARS about to attach ANC assets because of tax non-payment
— MamJ (@ziyarara) March 28, 2022
‘Jail those who broke the law’, OUTA demands
Sympathies are in short supply across the board, too. Never one to offer the ANC a shoulder to cry on, OneSA Movement leader Mmusi Maimane has demanded that ‘no special treatment’ is afforded to our governing party.
“The ANC must pay like everyone else is expected to. There must be no special treatment. The country needs that money for healthcare, for education and more.”
Mmusi Maimane
The Organisation for Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) have also stuck the knife in – they are imploring SARS to consider fines and even jail sentences for the very worst offenders.
“The SA Revenue Service (SARS) should not hesitate to fine and even jail those in charge of finances at the African National Congress (ANC) for breaking the law on paying taxes.”
OUTA statement
