Influencer, record label fail to pay up
Hip-hop star and influencer Da Les and his record label, Fresh 2 DEF Productions, are facing a legal lawsuit of over R155 000 in unpaid taxes from the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
The revenue collector filed papers at the Johannesburg High Court last month, stating that the rapper, whose real name is Leslie Jonathan Mampe Jr, had failed to settle a R131 000 tax bill incurred for the 2018/2019 tax period.
According to an affidavit deposed by Prudence Kharivhe, an operations manager at SARS’s Alberton campus, Da Les’s record label owed SARS R131 822.41 in unpaid Pay As You Earn (Paye) and as a result incurred R5 881.48 in interest and a further R13 179.46 in penalties.
The papers further show that the record label also owes at least R4 246.94 in unpaid UIF payments and was also slapped with additional penalties and interest, leaving the amount to balloon to R5 000.
In total, the papers reveal that Da Les’s company owed the taxman a total of R155 890.22 for the 2018/2019 tax period.
Court documents seen by Sunday World clearly indicate that the rapper, who is known for swag and hosting an annual massive all-white
party at a mansion in Bryanston, Jozi, gave SARS the cold shoulder.
The court papers further show that the rapper was served with two letters of demand by the taxman, first in May 2019 reminding him to
settle the debt, and the final letter of demand was sent to him on September 16 2019, informing him of the taxman’s decision to approach the court to claim the money owed to it.
In the final letter, SARS informed the rapper that his tax bill was now sitting at R138 430.66, and urged him to settle the bill in 10 business
days.
It further indicated that the rapper’s failure to settle the bill will see the taxman approach any third party who owed the rapper or his company to settle the tax debt for him.
The taxman further indicated that an option of a civil judgment against him could be considered, leading to a warrant of execution to be issued to the sheriff of the court to attach and sell his assets.
Despite all these efforts, the revenue collector revealed that its pleas fell on deaf ears, and no payment came through from the rapper or his record label.
SARS said: “As you are aware, SARS is creature of statute. As a result, SARS is not in a position to divulge specific information and details
on the affairs of taxpayers.
SARS is bound by chapter 6 of the Tax Administration Act, 2011, dealing with confidentiality of information, and more specifically section 69 of the act, which provides for the secrecy of taxpayer information.”
Da Les’s phone was answered by his manager who said his name was Benza, but he refused to comment stating that the matter was between SARS and the rapper.
By Aubrey Mothombeni
mothombenia@sundayworld.co.za
Cool Da Les gives SARS the cold shoulder over tax bill
