• SARS has advertised for 370 jobs, including new senior positions focused on getting wealthy South Africans to pay their share. 
  • It will also bolster its IT expertise and investigation skills. 
  • SARS received an extra R3 billion in this year's national budget to increase its capabilities.

The SA Revenue Service has advertised 370 jobs as part of its plans to improve its tech capabilities and widen its crackdown on people who are evading tax, especially big earners.

Among the new positions is a director who will focus specifically on wealthy South Africans, and specialists with experience in the structuring of “high wealth” individuals’ finances.

In this year’s national budget, finance minister Tito Mboweni announced that SARS will establish a dedicated unit to improve compliance of wealthy taxpayers, and gave SARS an extra R3 billion allocation to expand its specialised audit and investigative skills, as well as boost use of data analytics and artificial intelligence capabilities

In a statement accompanying ads for the 370 positions, SARS said that is preparing for a world where its work will increasingly be informed by data driven insights, machine learning, algorithms and “the interconnectivity of people and devices”.

It is looking for “pioneers” who will “serve SARS's higher purpose”.

"We are growing our own timber but to respond to this calling, we are also looking for 370 highly skilled, experiences, results driven, self-directed leaders and specialists with sound judgment,” SARS said.

Among the positions on offer include a chief data scientist, a chief technology and innovation officer as well as specialists in trust practice, regulatory compliance and leveraged legal products. It is also looking for 200 young graduates in the tax, legal and auditing fields, as well as criminal investigators and forensic auditors.

SARS also advertised for SAP specialists, developers, data base administrators and IT security engineers.

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