The South African Revenue Service (Sars) has entered its AI era — and the taxman is watching more closely than ever. With artificial intelligence now scanning bank records, crypto trades, and lifestyle mismatches, there’s nowhere left to hide.
Sars is modernising its operations by integrating advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen tax compliance and boost revenue collection.
Sars is using AI to analyse large amounts of data quickly and accurately, enabling the tax authority to identify tax-compliance risks and close the tax gap. By leveraging algorithms and advanced analytics, Sars can process large datasets from various sources, including third-party data such as bank transactions, financial records, beneficial ownership records, and cryptocurrency exchanges.
This allows Sars to detect patterns of underreporting, tax evasion, and fraudulent activities with significantly greater precision. For example, Sars has implemented AI systems to monitor financial patterns, such as sudden increases in wealth or discrepancies between reported income and lifestyle.
Automation and streamlining
AI is improving tax compliance by automating and refining processes that were once labour-intensive. Sars has introduced AI-powered tools to streamline tax assessments and detect non-compliance faster. These models can analyse taxpayer data in real-time and flag inconsistencies or anomalies for further investigation.
This proactive approach has enabled Sars to recover significant revenue, with reports indicating a record R2.155tn collected in the 2023/24 financial year, partly attributed to AI-driven tools.
Dedicated cryptocurrency unit
Additionally, Sars has established a dedicated cryptocurrency unit that uses AI and international cooperation to track underreported income from digital assets. This unit has automatic information-sharing protocols to identify tax evasion in the rapidly growing cryptocurrency market.
Given the increasing sophistication of Sars in using AI and data analytics to detect tax discrepancies, it has become more important than ever for taxpayers to engage knowledgeable and experienced professionals when preparing returns, reports, and financial statements.
Data sources
Sars now can cross-reference a wide array of data sources — including bank records, cryptocurrency transactions, and offshore ownership structures — and detect inconsistencies with far greater precision and speed than before. High-net-worth individuals are at heightened risk, as AI tools can quickly identify mismatches between declared income and actual lifestyle or wealth patterns.
In this environment, even minor reporting errors or omissions can trigger audits, penalties, or reputational harm. Therefore, relying on professionals who understand both the technical requirements and the evolving enforcement landscape is essential to ensure full compliance, minimise risk, and protect the taxpayer’s legal and financial standing.
