Street Smart Taxpayers: A Practical Guide to Your Rights in South Africa

I have always felt that my PhD thesis and legal text Taxpayers' Rights in South Africa (Juta Law, 2010) should be made available as a less technical guide to educate the ordinary South African taxpayers of their rights.  For years I tried to find the right person to translate my legal text into a fun and easily understandable text that would make the complex tax laws of South Africa more accessible to the ordinary South Africa taxpayer. In 2013 my wife, author and poet, Judy Croome approached Juta Law with the proposal that we work together on this book.  The journey to publication was at times as challenging as it was exhilirating but, finally, after four and a half years "STREET SMART TAXPAYERS: A Practical Guide to Your Rights in South Africa" was revealed for the first time at the Tax Indaba 2017. 

You can order your copy of Street Smart Taxpayers from Juta Law by clicking here

Simplifying complex legal language and tax terminology, the book attempts to reduce the fear factor and frustrations that many taxpayers experience when dealing with tax matters.

Street Smart Taxpayers explains the processes SARS must follow when working with taxpayers throughout the various stages of the tax process, and identifies the remedies available to taxpayers. Together with interesting tax stories and a useful glossary for taxpayers to better understand tax lingo, Street Smart Taxpayers explores the following taxpayers’ rights:

• the right to property
• the right to equality
• the right to privacy
• the right of access to information
• the right to administrative justice
• the right to remain silent
• the right of access to courts

Combining humour, expert knowledge and anecdotes about the troubles taxpayers encounter in their dealings with SARS, the authors also investigate taxpayers’ obligations, how tax and religion intersect and the important question of ethics from the point of view of both SARS and the taxpayer. It is hoped that this book will enable taxpayers to be street smart and competent in handling their tax affairs.

With Judge Bernard Ngoepe the Tax Ombud before joining him in panel discussion 
on "The Psychology of Tax Behaviour in Times of Recession" Tax Indaba 2017

 You can order your copy of Street Smart Taxpayers from Juta Law by clicking here

Contents Include:

• A history of South African taxation
• Taxpayers and the tax process
• Seeking help as a taxpayer
• What are your taxpayer rights?
• Taxpayers’ right to property
• Taxpayers’ right to equality
• Taxpayers’ right to privacy
• Taxpayers’ right to access to information
• Taxpayers’ right to administrative justice
• Taxpayers’ right to remain silent
• Taxpayers’ right of access to courts
• Taxpayers’ obligations
• The ethics of paying tax
• Taxpayers’ rights — an international work in progress
• Taxpayers’ remedies in South Africa
• The future of taxpayers’ rights
• Glossary 

At Tax Indaba 2017 - panel discussion on "The Psychology of Tax Behaviour in Times of Recession" Speakers from left to right: 
Dr Beric John Croome (ENSafrica), Dr Randall Carolissen (SARS), Judge Bernard Ngoepe (Tax Ombud SA) and Patricia Williams (Bowmans)
(Photograph courtesy of Thyann Delport of https://www.payspace.com/)

 Street Smart Taxpayers is of interest and benefit to:

• South African taxpayers
• Law students
• Tax practitioners 
• Government officials

 You can order your copy of Street Smart Taxpayers from Juta Law by clicking here