Ignorant sinners need not yet fear becoming generally known as tax offenders.
The Commissioner for Inland Revenue, Trevor van Heerden, told Parliament this week the names of tax offenders that will be published in the Government Gazette will initially be only those who have intentionally committed an offence.
The publication of names was one of the proposals put forward by Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, in the March Budget to help improve the country's low levels of tax collection.
Van Heerden, responding to questions from members of parliament, was asked what yardstick would be used to name offenders, since if the list included all tax offenders it would run into thousands, and also what was the purpose of the exercise.
Van Heerden agreed that if thousands of names were published the exercise would be less effective, which is why only those who offend with intent will at first be named.
Offenders will be those who have appeared in court, or the facts of whose cases have been laid before the court, and there is no dispute about their guilt.
On the purpose of publishing names, van Heerden said SARS was concerned that offences relating to tax evasion had been brought to court, and sometimes even earned sentences of up to 12 years, but because these cases were heard in small towns they never received any widespread coverage. As a result, not many people were aware how many tax offenders were actually punished.