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IOL News
6 days ago
- IOL News
Former Springbok rugby legend Schalk Burger Snr and wine farm sentenced for tax return failures
Former Springbok rugby player, Schalk Willem Petrus Burger has been sentenced for tax evasion. A former Springbok rugby player, Schalk Willem Petrus Burger, and his wine farm, Welbedacht Wines (Pty) Ltd, have been convicted and sentenced after failure to submit Value Added Tax, Pay as You Earn and Income Tax Returns. Burger, 69, was sentenced by the Paarl Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said he was fined R6,000 or 12 months' imprisonment on each count, and R2,000 or four months' imprisonment was suspended for five years. "This amounts to a payable fine of R56,000, or 112 months' imprisonment, and a further R28,000 or 56 months' imprisonment suspended for five years on specific conditions. He successfully requested the court to grant him a deferred fine and was ordered to pay the R56,000 in instalments of R6,000 per month and a final payment of R8,000," Ntabazalila.
IOL News
27-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Businessman fined R82,000 for tax evasion
Errant taxpayer, Roelof Serdyn, was convicted of one count of failure to submit an Income Tax return, eight counts of failure to submit Pay as You Earn (EMP201) returns, and 32 counts of failure to submit VAT returns. Image: Ziphozonke Lushaba / Independent Newspapers Businessman and errant taxpayer, Roelof Serdyn, was fined R82,000 for failing to submit Income Tax returns, Pay as You Earn returns, and Value Added Tax returns to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) between 2018 and 2024. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, said Serdyn - sentenced in the Bellville Magistrate's Court this week - was convicted of one count of failure to submit an Income Tax return, eight counts of failure to submit Pay as You Earn (EMP201) returns, and 32 counts of failure to submit VAT returns - all in contravention of the Tax Administration Act. Immediately after his sentence, Serdyn paid R42,000, and the balance of R40,000 was paid in monthly instalments of R5,000. Ntabazalila confirmed that a further cumulative amount of R164,000 or, in the alternative, 246 months imprisonment was suspended for five years on certain conditions. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 'Serdyn was charged alongside his company, Akvaba (Pty) Ltd, but the charges against the company were withdrawn after its liquidation. The court heard that Akvaba (Pty) Ltd was registered as a taxpayer and was therefore obligated to comply with all tax obligations towards the SARS. 'Serdyn was the representative taxpayer, employer, and representative vendor of Akvaba (Pty) Ltd. He was responsible for the company's tax affairs, which included the submission of all tax returns (IT, PAYE, and VAT) of Akvaba (Pty) Ltd. 'The accused ignored the reminders and final demand notices issued by SARS. When he was summoned to appear in court, the returns were submitted,' said Ntabazalila. In the lead up to the annual tax season opening, Ntabazalila said the case serves as a warning to persons acting as representative vendors, representative employers, and public officers who serve in these positions. 'These duties and responsibilities should not be taken lightly as non-compliance with such duties will have serious consequences for such incumbents in their capacity,' said Ntabazalila. The sentence in this case follows closely on the cases of J W Lubbe (and Jacor Transport Holding), who was sentenced to a fine of R148,000 on June 11, 2025, and H L van der Westhuizen (and Tempo Konstruksie CC), who was sentenced to a fine of R126,000 on May 30, 2025. In a statement, SARS said this tax season marks an important period where income tax returns of the majority of taxpayers are automatically assessed. The category of taxpayers who are automatically assessed will receive notification from SARS from July 7 to 20, 2025. Taxpayers who do not receive notifications from SARS that they are automatically assessed are encouraged to submit their tax returns in a timely and accurate manner from July 21, 2025. The Filing Season will close on October 20, 2025, for non-provisional individuals. SARS urged all taxpayers to prepare their documentation early to check their assessments and to avoid last-minute delays for those who must submit an income return. 'In line with our strategic objective to make it easy for taxpayers to comply, we have identified a large segment of non-provisional and provisional taxpayers who receives income from one or more sources from formal and other forms of employment and whose tax affairs are not complicated have been selected to be automatically assessed,' SARS said. Taxpayers can access their auto-assessed income tax returns through any of SARS's channels, such as the SARS MobiApp or SARS eFiling, to review and verify the completeness and accuracy of the information that resulted in the auto assessment. For more information, visit the SARS website.
IOL News
20-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Bellville business owner fined R96,000 for failing to submit tax returns
The Bellville Magistrate's Court has fined a business owner R96 000 for failing to submit various tax returns over several years. "Mayet was the sole member of A and Y Wholesale Retail Enterprise CC, which traded as a wholesale retail enterprise trading under the name and style of Plastipak. The Bellville Magistrate's Court has fined a businessman for failure to submit income tax returns, Value Added Tax (VAT) returns, and Pay as You Earn (PAYE) returns. "The company was registered for Income Tax, VAT, PAYE (EMP 201) and PAYE (EMP 501). "Mayet was the representative VAT vendor, representative employer, and the public officer of the company at the time of the commission of the offences. "He failed to submit Income Tax, VAT, PAYE (EMP 201) and PAYE (EMP 501) returns when they were due. "The offences were committed over several years: VAT returns for a year, PAYE (EMP 201) for two years and PAYE (EMP 501) for five years," Ntabazalila said. "The returns remained outstanding until they were submitted on May 27, 2024. "The accused and his company were convicted on an Income Tax return on behalf of A and Y Wholesale Retail Enterprise CC, two counts of failure to submit VAT returns, five counts of failure to submit PAYE (EMP 201) returns and eight counts of failure to submit PAYE (EMP 501) returns."
Los Angeles Times
17-05-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Student loans have been confusing lately. Here's a guide to know where you stand
NEW YORK — Between collections resuming, courts blocking student loan programs and layoffs at the Education Department, borrowers might be confused about the status of their student loans. Recently, the Education Department announced it would start involuntary collections on defaulted loans, meaning the roughly 5.3 million borrowers who are in default could have their wages garnished by the federal government. At the center of the turmoil are the government's income-driven repayment plans, which reduce monthly payments for borrowers with lower incomes. Those plans were temporarily paused after a federal court blocked parts of the plans in February. 'There's so much confusion, they've made it very complicated,' said Natalia Abrams, president and founder of the Student Debt Crisis Center. At the same time, some borrowers are struggling to get their loan servicers on the phone, making it hard to find answers to their questions, said Abrams. If you're a student loan borrower, here are some answers to your questions. Applications for income-driven repayment plans are open, but they're taking longer than usual to process. The applications were temporarily shut down earlier this year after a federal court in Missouri blocked the SAVE plan, a Biden administration plan that offered a faster path to loan forgiveness. The judge's order also blocked parts of other repayment plans, prompting the Education Department to pause income-driven applications entirely. Amid pressure from advocates, the department reopened the applications on May 10. Borrowers can apply for the following income-driven plans: the Income-Based Repayment Plan, the Pay as You Earn plan and the Income-Contingent Repayment plan. Abrams expects applications will continue to be approved but at a slower pace than before the application pause. Borrowers currently enrolled in an income-driven plan should be receiving notifications about recertification, said Khandice Lofton, counsel at the Student Borrower Protection Center. Recertification is required annually to update information on family size and income, and dates are different for each borrower. To review income-driven repayment plans, you can check the loan simulator at Borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan have been placed in forbearance while a legal challenge is resolved. That means they don't have to make payments and interest is not accruing. Time in forbearance normally does not count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The Education Department will notify borrowers with updates on payments and litigation. 'We don't know for sure when the SAVE forbearance is going to end,' Abrams said. While the future of the SAVE plan is decided in court, Abrams encourages borrowers to explore their eligibility for other income-driven repayment plans. The online application for loan consolidation is available again, at If you have multiple federal student loans, you can combine them into one with a fixed interest rate and a single monthly payment. The consolidation process typically takes around 60 days to complete. You can only consolidate your loans once. It would be difficult for the Education Department to reinstate loans that were canceled during President Joe Biden's administration. So far, it isn't believed to be happening, Abrams said. Nothing has changed yet. President Donald Trump wants to change the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to disqualify workers of nonprofit groups deemed to have engaged in 'improper' activities. He signed an executive order to that effect, but it has yet to be enforced. Borrowers enrolled in PSLF should keep up with payments to make progress toward loan forgiveness, said Sarah Austin, policy analyst at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. 'There could be some changes coming in regards to PSLF but at this current time PSLF is still functioning and there is still loan forgiveness being processed under the PSLF provision,' said Austin. An income-driven repayment tracker has disappeared from the federal student loan website for many borrowers, said Abrams. For keeping track of their status, Abrams is recommending that borrowers take screenshots of their payments. Contacting your loan servicer is crucial to managing and understanding your student loans. Due to the large number of people trying to get answers or apply for programs, loan servicers are taking longer than usual to respond. Abrams recommends borrowers prepare for long wait times. 'We've heard borrowers being in hold for three or four hours, then being transferred to a supervisor and then being hung up on, after all that wait time. It's incredibly frustrating,' Abrams said. If you're delinquent, try to get back on track. Borrowers who don't make their payments for 270 days go into default, which has severe consequences. 'If you're delinquent but have not defaulted yet, do whatever you can do to avoid going default,' said Kate Wood, a student loans expert at NerdWallet. Borrowers who are delinquent on their student loans take a massive hit on their credit scores, which could drop 100 points or more, Wood said. A delinquency stays on your credit report for seven years. Wood recommends contacting your servicer to ask for options, which can include forbearance, deferment or applying for an income-driven repayment plan. The Education Department is recommending borrowers visit its Default Resolution Group to make a monthly payment, enroll in an income-driven repayment plan or sign up for loan rehabilitation. Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute for Student Loan Advisors, recommends loan rehabilitation. Borrowers in default must ask their loan servicer to be placed into such a program. Typically, servicers ask for proof of income and expenses to calculate a payment amount. Once a borrower has paid on time for nine months in a row, they are taken out of default, Mayotte said. A loan rehabilitation can only be done once. The Fresh Start program was a one-time temporary program that helped borrowers get out of default. This program ended Aug. 31, 2024. Morga writes for the Associated Press.
Boston Globe
16-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Student loans have been confusing lately. Here's a guide to know where you stand.
'There's so much confusion, they've made it very complicated,' said Natalia Abrams, president and founder of the Student Debt Crisis Center. At the same time, some borrowers are struggling to get their loan servicers on the phone, making it hard to find answers to their questions, said Abrams. Advertisement If you're a student loan borrower, here are some answers to your questions. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up What if I want to enroll in an income-driven repayment plan? Applications for income-driven repayment plans are open, but they're taking longer than usual to process. The applications were temporarily shut down earlier this year after a federal court in Missouri blocked the SAVE plan, a Biden administration plan that offered a faster path to loan forgiveness. The judge's order also blocked parts of other repayment plans, prompting the Education Department to pause income-driven applications entirely. Amid pressure from advocates, the department reopened the applications on May 10. Borrowers can apply for the following income-driven plans: the Income-Based Repayment Plan, the Pay as You Earn plan and the Income-Contingent Repayment plan. Abrams expects applications will continue to be approved but at a slower pace than before the application pause. Advertisement Borrowers currently enrolled in an income-driven plan should be receiving notifications about recertification, said Khandice Lofton, counsel at the Student Borrower Protection Center. Recertification is required annually to update information on family size and income, and dates are different for each borrower. To review income-driven repayment plans, you can check the What if I applied to the SAVE plan? Borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan have been placed in administrative forbearance while a legal challenge is resolved. That means they don't have to make payments and interest is not accruing. Time in forbearance normally does not count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The Education Department will notify borrowers with updates on payments and litigation. 'We don't know for sure when the SAVE forbearance is going to end,' Abrams said. While the future of the SAVE plan is decided in court, Abrams encourages borrowers to explore their eligibility for other income-driven repayment plans. What if I want to consolidate my student loans? The online application for loan consolidation is available again, at The consolidation process typically takes around 60 days to complete. You can only consolidate your loans once. What if my loan was forgiven? It would be difficult for the Education Department to reinstate loans that were canceled during President Joe Biden's administration. So far, it isn't believed to be happening, Abrams said. What about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program? Nothing has changed yet. President Donald Trump wants to change the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to disqualify workers of nonprofit groups deemed to have engaged in 'improper' activities. He signed an executive order to that effect, but it has yet to be enforced. Advertisement Borrowers enrolled in PSLF should keep up with payments to make progress toward loan forgiveness, said Sarah Austin, policy analyst at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. 'There could be some changes coming in regards to PSLF but at this current time PSLF is still functioning and there is still loan forgiveness being processed under the PSLF provision,' said Austin. An income-driven repayment tracker has disappeared from the federal student loan website for many borrowers, said Abrams. For keeping track of their status, Abrams is recommending that borrowers take screenshots of their payments. What if I can't get a hold of my loan servicer? Contacting your loan servicer is crucial to managing and understanding your student loans. Due to the large number of people trying to get answers or apply for programs, loan servicers are taking longer than usual to respond. Abrams recommends borrowers prepare for long wait times. 'We've heard borrowers being in hold for three or four hours, then being transferred to a supervisor and then being hung up on, after all that wait time. It's incredibly frustrating,' Abrams said. What can I do if I'm delinquent on my student loans? If you're delinquent, try to get back on track. Borrowers who don't make their payments for 270 days go into default, which has severe consequences. 'If you're delinquent but have not defaulted yet, do whatever you can do to avoid going default,' said Kate Wood, a student loans expert at NerdWallet. Borrowers who are delinquent on their student loans take a massive hit on their credit scores, which could drop 100 points or more, Wood said. A delinquency stays on your credit report for seven years. Wood recommends contacting your servicer to ask for options, which can include forbearance, deferment or applying for an income-driven repayment plan. Advertisement What if I'm in default on my student loans? The Education Department is recommending borrowers visit its Default Resolution Group to make a monthly payment, enroll in an income-driven repayment plan or sign up for loan rehabilitation. Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute for Student Loan Advisors, recommends loan rehabilitation. Borrowers in default must ask their loan servicer to be placed into such a program. Typically, servicers ask for proof of income and expenses to calculate a payment amount. Once a borrower has paid on time for nine months in a row, they are taken out of default, Mayotte said. A loan rehabilitation can only be done once. What happened to Fresh Start? The Fresh Start program was a one-time temporary program that helped borrowers get out of default. This program ended Aug. 31, 2024.
