Careers at The South African Revenue Service (SARS)

Job Purpose

• To conduct advanced audits of a complex nature with the aim of influencing compliance through raising accurate assessments in line with relevant legislation. Provide technical support to other auditors and utilise tax, corporate and other legislative knowledge and experience to identify tax gaps, avoidance and evasion schemes. Identifies initiatives and necessary changes to legislation to impact compliance levels.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualification & Experience Required

• Relevant Bachelor's Degree / Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) and 6 years' experience in a tax audit environment including 4 years of audit experience in primary tax types. Experience in Corporate Income Tax, specialised financial products, corporate restructurings, specifically taxation experience in long term insurance, non-life insurance and banking; and mergers & acquisitions transactions environment.

Minimum Functional Requirements

Applicable professional registration at either of the following professional bodies:

• South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)
• South African Institute of Taxation (SAIT)
• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
• South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA)
• Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE)
• Legal Practice Council (LPC)

Job Outputs:

Process

• Accumulate information to review work progress that provides input to reporting, decision making and the identification of improvement opportunities.
• Analyse complex data / evidence, review and confirm identified risks and consideration of additional risks which may relate to the entity being audited, across tax types, across related entities etc.
• Analyse transactions of a complex nature across multiple tax types and / or entities and / or groups of related entities which may be based locally or internationally with the aim of understanding the tax implications thereof.
• Analyse voluminous information of a complex nature provided at dispute stage and taxpayer complaints logged across the linked and / or related entities and / or groups of entities
• Apply practical and applied knowledge and act authoritatively on methods, systems and procedures to identify trends and potential risks.
• Be involved in research to identify complex tax risks that may not have been addressed effectively through audit or other interventions. These risks will be referred to Case Selection which may lead to the identification of new audit focus areas e.g. industry, tax specific risks etc.
• Communication of situational interpretation and judgement of work outputs and queries in area of specialisation.
• Conduct advanced audits of a complex nature (plan, execute, finalise) in line with relevant Acts / Regulations / Policies / SOPS using SARS systems.
• Continuous engagement with Debt Management aimed at optimal collection on liabilities raised through the audit. Conduct a detailed financial and cash flow analysis to support the recommendations which may be used thereafter. Engage the taxpayer regarding the collection of debt with or without the assistance of Debt Management at the finalisation stage of the audit.
• Correctly apply policies, practices, standards, procedures and legislation in the delivery of work outputs.
• Draw on own knowledge and experience to diagnose symptoms, causes and possible effects in order to solve emerging problems.
• Engagement with Litigation and Dispute management during and post the audit process to address issues relating to the interpretation of relevant legislation e.g., tax, legislation relating to companies etc. This engagement will take cognizance of the outcomes of similar matters, tax court cases and civil court outcomes. The auditor may be required to testify in a civil court on matters of a complex nature.
• Identify and escalate enhancements to management on policies, procedures and guides. Auditors are also requested to provide inputs to draft policies and procedures to the product areas e.g., different Tax Types product areas, Process Design and Engineering, etc.
• Identify and escalate serious tax offences for potential criminal investigations. The escalation to include a detailed analysis of the facts together with the applicable tax legislation. Engagement between the auditor and the investigator further enhances the handover process. The Auditor may be required to testify in a criminal court.
• Identify information required to mitigate audit risks of an advanced and complex nature and engage taxpayers / tax practitioners / third parties both locally and internationally for additional relevant information and clarification.
• Identify new and additional complex risks for audit scope expansion, identification of new risks relating to other tax types and related entities for referral to Case Selection for profiling for new audit interventions.
• Initiate process and procedural change, implement the change and provide guidelines and support related to new requirements as a result of the change.
• Manage the efficient progress of the audit of linked and/or related entities and/or groups of entities being audited utilising approved systems.
• Navigate and extract relevant information from SARS systems and external sources to collect and evaluate risks and compliance to relevant legislation. This relates to information of linked and / or related entities and / or groups of entities which may be based locally or internationally.
• Plan for value-added process improvements, initiatives and services to deliver on operational strategy and objectives.
• Prepare and issue detailed and relevant communication / reports as required to internal and external stakeholders. Ensure that communication is coordinated and aligned between related audits be it tax types or at an entity level.
• Prepare inputs based on analysis and interpretation of facts and legislation, participate and present to relevant Committee. Highlight treatment of audits of similar nature to the relevant Committee to ensure consistent treatment. i.e. Technical Committee, Understatement Committee, Large Assessment Committee, Objections Committee, National Appeals Committee.
• Provide inputs and guidance to Account Maintenance on remittance of penalty and interest requests.
• Provide specialist input through the investigation of opportunities for operational and process, product and risk optimisation
• Provide technical support to other Auditors. This may involve conducting research, training and development, and coaching support during an audit or dispute process.
• Raise accurate assessments on SARS systems in relation to relevant legislation and ensure that assessments raised on linked and / or related entities and / or groups of entities are aligned from a tax perspective.
• Utilise digital information, systems and tools as they become available to address complex advanced audit risks. This may include eCommerce transactions and other digital risks.
• Utilise tax, corporate and other legislative knowledge and experience to identify tax gaps, avoidance and evasion schemes. Identify initiatives and changes to required legislation to impact compliance levels.
• Where large data files are required to be downloaded, engage Electronic Forensic Services (EFS) to assist. Detail the data required and the risks, to contribute to the identification of required data files and/or additional data.

Governance

• Implement and provide input into the development of governance, compliance, integrity and ethics processes within area of specialization

People

• Develop and maintain productive working relationships with peers and team members to achieve predefined objectives.
• Search for, integrate and share new knowledge attained through formal and informal learning opportunities in the execution of your job.

Finance

• Adhere to organisational policies and procedures to ensure cost effectiveness and reduction of financial cost

Client

• Contribute to a culture of service excellence, which builds positive relationships and provides opportunity for feedback and exceptional service. (I)
• Provide authoritative, specialist services, expertise and advice to internal and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to a culture of service excellence, which builds positive relationships and provides opportunity for feedback and exceptional service.
• Provide authoritative, specialist services, expertise and advice to internal and external stakeholders.

Behavioural competencies

• Accountability
• Analytical Thinking
• Attention to Detail
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Conceptual Ability
• Customer Service
• Drive for Results
• Expertise in Context
• Fairness and Transparency
• Honesty and Integrity
• Organisational Awareness
• Respect
• Trust

Technical competencies

• Audit Methodology
• Business Knowledge
• Business Writing Skills
• Computer Literacy
• Data Collection and Analysis
• Efficiency Improvement
• Execute, Implement and Follow Through
• Financial Acumen
• Functional Policies and Procedures
• Operational Audit
• Planning and Organising
• Problem Analysis and Judgement
• Quality Orientation
• Reporting
• Tax Knowledge
• Tax Law

Deadline:1st July,2026

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Job Purpose

• To facilitate and coordinate the management of high severity incidents and the investigation of the cause of problems.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualification & Experience Required

• National Diploma (NQF6) in Information Technology AND 2-3 years' experience in an Information Technology environment, of which 1-2 years is at knowledge worker level

ALTERNATIVE#

• Senior Certificate (NQF4) AND 5 years’ experience in Information Technology environment, of which 1-2 years is at knowledge worker level.

Job Outputs:

Process

• Be observant and engage on possible violations of procedures and standards of conduct and escalate where necessary.
• Take accountability for delivery of contracted work outputs within agreed parameters, quality standards and client service targets.
• Plan and organise own work tasks within area of work.
• Report on transactional activity progression within set guidelines to provide timely information for decision making in area of accountability.
• Ensure quality of work content, quick turnaround, prioritise, minimise mistakes and continuously improve quality, service and standards.
• Communication of transactional outputs and queries in area of work.
• Deliver on contracted performance objectives according to set procedures and agreed service level agreements. 
• Embrace change initiatives and positively contribute to the success thereof within area of accountability.
• Identify problems, apply known solutions in line with procedures or guidelines and escalate unresolved problems.
• Plan and organise own work in an effective and efficient manner to reach agreed performance objectives.

Governance

• Comply with and adhere to identified governance and compliance standards and escalate problems for investigation and resolution.

People

• Drive own performance and development in order to achieve and improve work outputs in line with required response time, quality and service delivery standards.
• Continuously assess own performance, seek timely and clear feedback and request training where appropriate.

Finance

• Adhere to specified policies, standards, legislation and procedures to prevent wastage on resources, unauthorised expenditure and wasteful expenditure and report violations.

Client

• Ensure own understanding and adherence to customer service delivery in order to meet or exceed customer expectations.
• Contribute to a culture of service excellence, which builds positive relationships and provides opportunity for feedback and exceptional service.

Behavioural Competencies

• Accountability
• Honesty and Integrity 
• Fairness and Transparency
• Trust
• Respect
• Problem Solving and Analysis

Technical Competencies

• Computer Literacy
• Functional Policies and Procedures
• Business IT Systems
• IT Strategy and Planning
• System Thinking
• Standard operating procedure compliance

Deadline:30th June,2026

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Job Purpose

• To gather and analyse tax and information return data in conjunction with demographic and economic data as well as provide expert advice on revenue forecast in order to achieve business or segment objectives. Showcase abilities to gather data, conduct analysis, develop reports and/or research outputs (in written, spread sheet or presentation formats) in an agile fashion and meet sensitive delivery goals.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualification & Experience Required

• Bachelor's Degree / Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) in Business, Commerce, Economics, Statistics, and/or Data Science AND 8-10 years' experience in a Business, Commerce, Economics Statistics, and/or Data Science environment, of which 3-4 years at a junior specialist level.

Alternatives #

• Senior Certificate (NQF 4) AND 15 experience in a Business, Commerce, Economics Statistics, and/or Data Science environment, of which 3-4 years at a junior specialist level.

Job Outputs:

Process

• Integrate business information, compare, analyse & produce reports to identify trends, discrepancies & inconsistencies for decision making purposes
• Proactively identify interconnected problems, determine its impact and use to develop best fit alternatives; best practice implementation solutions
• Plan for value-added, continuous practice & system improvements to deliver on objectives to enhance tactical implementation and excellence.
• Build strong relationships through providing direction and leadership to others and expressing positive expectations.
• Consider the interdependencies in design and implementation of policy, practice, process and delivery systems in relation to business unit goals.
• Link the purpose of the business unit to the SARS vision, purpose and goals and align all associated functional activities.
• Provide reports on progress against standards and overall performance against plan with the associated impact on achievement of objectives.
• Utilise understanding of functional area, legislation and mandate to make recommendations to the functional strategy.
• Draw on own technical or professional expertise, knowledge & experience to identify & recommend tactical solutions to defined problems in practices
• Extracting or drawing the data.
• Validating completeness and accuracy of data.
• Cleaning and transforming the data.

Governance

• Develop and/or align governance and compliance policies for own practice area to identify and manage risk exposure liability

People

• Assist team members with new tasks and unfamiliar aspects of the job.
• Identify individual performance areas which require further development and ensure necessary development takes place.
• Integrate new knowledge and transfer skills attained through formal and informal learning opportunities in the execution of your job.
• Provide specialist know-how, support, advice and practice thought leadership in area of expertise.
• Train team members in respect of technical and business aspects of the job.

Finance

• Implement and monitor financial control, management of costs and corporate governance in area of specialisation.

Client

• Develop & ensure implementation of a practice that builds service delivery excellence & encourage others to provide exceptional stakeholder service.
• Participate in the specialist practice community and contribute positively to organisation knowledge management.
• Provide authoritative, specialist expertise and advice to internal and external stakeholders.

Behavioural competencies

• Accountability
• Analytical Thinking
• Attention to Detail
• Commitment to continuous learning
• Conceptual Ability
• Diversity Awareness
• Expertise in Context
• Fairness and Transparency
• Honesty and Integrity
• Organisational Awareness
• Problem Solving and Analysis
• Respect and
• Trust

Technical competencies

• Business Acumen
• Business Knowledge
• Data Collection and Analysis
• Decisiveness
• Business Acumen
• Efficiency Improvement
• Financial Analysis and Reporting
• Financial Performance and Reporting
• Financial Control
• Functional Policies and Procedures
• Planning and Organising
• Reporting
• Reporting and Interpretation

Deadline:9th July,2026