The National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) have published the 18th annual Tax Statistics, providing an overview of tax collection and tax return data for the 2024/25 financial year. The data also provides insights into the breakdown of demographics, sectors, and locations of taxpayers contributing the most to SARS’ tax haul. Tax collections increased from R113.8 billion in 1994/95 to R1,855.3 billion in 2024/25, at a compounded annual growth rate of 9.8%. Over this period, South Africans remained highly taxed, with the average tax-to-GDP ratio hitting 22.3%. However, it hit a record high in 2025 at 25.1% of GDP.
Sam Busa