Cape Town - Are South Africans ripe for a tax revolt? Judging from Fin24 users' response to a recent article, many people feel that paying taxes only helps to feed a culture of greed and abuse. Loyal taxpayers are reaching tipping point as details keep emerging of brazen abuse of public funds through wasteful government expenditure and corrupt schemes - all funded by hard-working South Africans.
READ: Tax revolt threat: heed the signs
"What is the view of the hard working, tax-paying minority out there? It's quite simple: We are forced (by paying taxes) to make an investment in this country but we are not getting any return on investment... at all!", says a Fin24 user who wishes to remain anonymous.
He adds: "I am a salary earner and have no option but to continue paying taxes; however, we don't have to like it."
Fin24 user David H Overton provides a few quotes "from credible sources referring to the deteriorating tax situation in South Africa":
“The terrifying reality is that the number of people with the necessary human capital – the expertise and skills to support society and capability to pay taxes – is too few to carry the burden of the numbers in need.” – Dr Jan du Plessis, Pretoria-based political analyst.
“There are a lot of South Africans who are fed up with the government’s pilferage of our hard-earned tax money. Surely we should have the right to withhold this tax money until we are guaranteed that it will not be lost in corruption?” – Tax Payers Union of South Africa (sic).
“The greater the level of corruption, the less we will have tax integrity and the greater the possibility of a tax revolt.” – Judge Dennis Davis, report in Business Day.
Overton says the topic of a tax revolt is a major theme in his fact-based novel, “The Girl Who Couldn’t Be Hypnotised”, soon to be published on Amazon.
Here is a short extract:
‘But wouldn’t a tax and rates strike be illegal?’ I asked.
‘Maybe so,’ said Alistair, ‘but it would be legitimate. There’s a difference. You see, if a government won’t do the job it’s paid to do, and also can’t prevent corrupt tax officials from diverting revenue collected, then we taxpayers have the right to withhold payment. I’ve already decided to claim the cost of my electric fence which I was forced to put up because of rampant crime…'
John Taylor has simple request: "All I ask is that the government spend our taxes wisely on important issues to further the quality of life for ALL South Africans."
Ken Schreuder says: "I too have paid ( significant) taxes quite willingly for over 40 years. I now feel like I am being robbed of my taxes without any benefit to even the poorest, most needy, in this potentially wonderful country."
A fed-up Fin24 user says: "I am one of the disillusioned who spend a ridiculous amount of time to avoid paying tax to a corrupt SARS (South African Revenue Service). Time that could be better spent doing something productive for the greater good. But feeding the monster with tax money is the 'prime evil'."
Cara Bouwer says: "While I do believe if one lives and works in a country you should pay tax willingly and with a good heart, the lack of trust in how taxes are spent is building up a head of steam. And let us not forget that all South Africans pay tax in the form of VAT, so this discussion impacts us all."
Jockman holds a less optimistic view. He says: "Too many South Africans have become disillusioned with the corruption and mainly the waste of fiscal funds," which he believes "has been happening for ages and which is now irreversible".
A professional accountant of over 43 years' standing who retired two years ago, Jockman says he has noticed that virtually nobody he knows wil pay VAT if they can avoid it.
"Most transactions are now cash-based," he says. "There is no solution and people should accept reality. We have slipped into the abyss."
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on Fin24 have been independently written by members of the Fin24 community. The views of users published on Fin24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent those of Fin24.