SACP secretary-general Solly Mapaila has been slapped with a tax bill of more than R700 000 by the South African Revenue Service (Sars) for failing to pay his personal taxes.
News that Mapaila’s tax books are in shambles came to the fore after Sars wrote him a letter last month demanding the staggering quantum and threatening to apply for default judgement against him if he does not settle the bill.
According to the letter, which we have seen, Mapaila first owed Sars over R760 000, but the amount ballooned to over R800 000 after the debt incurred interest of over R100 000.
But this amount later decreased to just over R760 000 for unknown reasons.
Before transmitting this letter, Sars wrote another letter of demand last month to Mapaila, a fierce critic of the government of national unity because it has included the DA, pleading with him to settle the bill.
“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,” reads the letter.
Sars advised Mapaila to apply within 10 business days of the date of issuance of the
letter to arrange to pay the debt in instalments if he is unable to pay the full amount.
Sars also advised the politician to apply for suspension of the debt if he 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 Mapaila that if he did not comply with its demands, it would go to court to seek an order to attach and auction off his 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 judgement 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 your and your dependants’ basic living expenses.
“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,” the papers read.
