Choosing someone to fight a SARS assessment you believe is wrong

Most people who believe a SARS assessment is wrong wait until they've already chosen someone to handle the fight—and then realise they've picked the wrong person. By then, deadlines are ticking, documents are changing hands, and a weak representative can damage your position more than having none at all.

The real mistake isn't rushing into a dispute; it's treating all tax practitioners as interchangeable. You need someone whose strengths match your specific situation, whose track record proves they can actually sway SARS, and whose working style fits how you want to operate over what could be months of back-and-forth. Getting this right before you hand over your file is non-negotiable.

Who handles what, and why it matters

Not every qualified person who can help with a SARS dispute handles them equally. You'll encounter tax practitioners, attorneys, and in some cases accountants who all legally can represent you—but their training, their appetite for formal dispute work, and their inside relationships with SARS differ sharply.

A tax practitioner (whether a registered tax practitioner or tax attorney) often spends most of their time on compliance and planning; disputes may be a fraction of their work. An attorney specialising in tax disputes eats and sleeps SARS objections and appeals; that focus matters when you need someone who knows the precise procedural landmines. Some practitioners thrive in face-to-face negotiation with SARS officials; others are builders of written arguments. Neither is wrong, but you need to know which you're hiring and whether that approach suits your dispute.

Before you meet anyone, establish what kind of dispute you're dealing with. Is it a straightforward factual disagreement—you claim a deduction was valid and SARS disagrees? Or is it tangled: penalties, interest, multiple years, aggressive claims SARS has bundled together? Simple factual disputes sometimes settle faster with a negotiator. Complex multi-layered disputes often need someone who can construct a methodical written objection that holds up under scrutiny.

Check that whoever you're considering is actually registered to do this work. Ask for their registration number with their professional body and verify it. It's not just compliance; it's your proof they've met a baseline standard and have ongoing obligation to keep their knowledge current.

Weigh their dispute résumé, not their general reputation

A practitioner with an excellent reputation for tax planning or compliance might still be a weak choice for contesting an assessment. You need to know whether they've handled disputes *like yours* and what happened.

Ask direct questions. How many SARS objections have they lodged in the last two years? Of those, how many were withdrawn by the taxpayer, how many were partly allowed by SARS, how many went to appeal? If they're evasive or defensive—claiming they can't discuss past clients, or citing privacy—that's itself a warning sign. Good practitioners can talk about their experience in general terms without breaching confidentiality.

Be suspicious of anyone who promises an outcome. No one controls SARS. What you want to hear instead is how they assess your chances honestly, what the weak spots in your position are, and what they'll do to strengthen them. They should ask you tough questions about your records, your reasoning, and your tolerance for a long process. If they seem eager to take the file without understanding your side, they're not thinking clearly about the work.

Experience with disputes similar to yours also counts. Disputes over vehicle deductions, partnership income, and capital allowances all demand different knowledge. A practitioner brilliant at handling understatement penalties might be less useful if your core issue is the valuation of a business asset.

You also need someone accessible during the actual dispute. SARS might request information, or officials might propose a settlement. You need a practitioner who responds within days, not weeks, and who will keep you in the loop. Ask how they communicate—email, WhatsApp, phone calls—and what their typical turnaround is. A one-person operation might be experienced but slow; a larger firm might have better capacity but less continuity on your file.

Finding the right person to fight an assessment means looking past credentials alone and digging into how they actually handle disputes, how they speak about your chances, and whether they have the bandwidth and focus your specific fight needs. Strove lets you find verified tax practitioners in your area, read what others experienced, and contact several before you decide. Take the time to compare a few; the cost of choosing wrong is far higher than the effort spent choosing right.