Sars applies ‘formula’ for repetitive stops

SA Revenue Service Customs
has put in place a formula
that provides a standardised
measure of what constitutes
a repetitive stop.
“A letter was sent to
trade in October last year
explaining the escalation
process in the case of
repetitive stops,” a Sars
spokesman told FTW.
“If cases are found to be
repetitive, a desk audit is
conducted by Sars officials
where document verification
is done and further
confirmed by a technical
reviewer.”
Sars gave its undertaking
in September last year that
a uniform formula would
apply in every processing
centre – in Durban, Cape
Town, Alberton and
Doringkloof.
And according to the
spokesman, the formula has
met with positive feedback
from industry.
Sars explains that risk
rules within the system
consider a number of
behaviours and other
variables, which is why
shippers of a particular
commodity often find
their goods repeatedly
stopped until the risk has
been eliminated – but it’s
the goods that are being
targeted rather than the
shipper.