Revered television actor Thapelo Mokoena has become one of the top celebrities in South Africa, whose production houses have found themselves on the wrong side of the taxman.
Sunday World can exclusively reveal that the South African Revenue Service (Sars) applied last week to the Johannesburg High Court for a default judgment against Mokoena’s production entity Easy Sundays Production.
The application follows the alleged failure by Mokoena’s outfit to pay Sars more than R1.4-million in value-added tax.
According to the application, which Sunday World has seen, Mokoena’s Easy Sundays Production owed Sars just under R1.1-million.
But the quantum spiked to more than R1.4-million after the receiver of revenue imposed more than R111 000 in penalties and more than R180 000 in interest.
Before applying for the default judgment, Sars transmitted a letter to Easy Sundays Production on April 24, pleading with it to settle the astronomical bill.
It appears Mokoena ‘s company failed to foot the bill, prompting Sars to drag it to court.
In the letter, Sars advised Easy Sundays Production to pay the debt or enter into a payment plan to settle the debt.
The taxman threatened to auction off the company’s assets if it failed to remit payment.
“According to the records of the South African Revenue Service, you have failed to pay your tax debt for one or more tax years and tax periods.
“You are requested to make full payment within 10 days from the date of this letter of demand,” read the letter.
In the letter, Sars advised the company to apply within 10 business days from the date of issuance to arrange to pay the debt in instalments if it was unable to pay the full amount.
The former Generations actor’s outfit was also advised to apply for suspension of the debt if it intended to submit or had submitted a formal dispute or compromise of a portion of the tax, where this would provide a higher return to the fund than liquidation, sequestration or other collection measures.
Sars informed the production house that if it did not comply with its demands, it would go to court to seek an order to attach and auction off its assets. “Failure to make full payment or use the above remedies may result in the following actions and possibly others: Sars may appoint any third party who presently or in the future will owe you money or hold money for you to settle your tax debt with this money.
“A civil judgment is being entered against you, in which case a warrant of execution may be issued for the sheriff of the court to attach and sell your assets.
“If you are a natural person, you may apply for a reduction of the amount to be paid to Sars based on you and your dependants’ basic living expense.
“If you are a non-natural person, you may apply for a reduction of the amount to be paid to Sars based on serious financial hardship.”
