The Cape Town Regional Court has delivered a firm sentence of three years direct imprisonment to Faried van der Schyff, a former employee of the South African Revenue Services SARS, after he was found guilty of multiple serious offences, including fraud and illegal possession of an unauthorised cellphone while incarcerated.
Van der Schyff, who worked at SARS from 1992 to 1997, later established an accounting service named VDS Financial Services and Advisors, Cape Town Etc reports.
Operating mainly in Belhar and Athlone, he claimed to offer tax advice to clients, presenting himself as qualified and proficient in managing their SARS-related obligations.
However, the reality was starkly different he failed to register as a tax practitioner, directly violating the Tax Administration Act. Such registration is mandated for anyone providing tax-related services, aiming to ensure that individuals in charge of public tax affairs possess the proper qualifications and adhere to tax compliance standards.
Having not registered with any of the recognised professional bodies, Van der Schyff ignored repeated warnings from SARS and continued to unlawfully handle the tax affairs of unsuspecting individuals, remarked NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila.