How to check a practitioner has actually won disputes with SARS

The biggest mistake people make is taking a practitioner's word for it. When someone claims they've successfully challenged SARS assessments, you hear confidence—but confidence isn't proof. Many tax practitioners talk big about dispute wins without evidence to back it up. Before you hand over your case files, you need concrete ways to verify that track record.

Check their professional registration first

Start with the basics. Ask for their registration number with the relevant professional body—this might be SAIPA (South African Institute of Professional Accountants), ICA (Institute of Certified Accountants), or if they're an attorney, the Law Society of South Africa. Get the specific registration number and verify it yourself on the body's public register. This tells you they're bound by professional standards and ethical rules, but it doesn't confirm dispute wins yet—it just means they're legitimate practitioners. A registration is necessary but not sufficient.

If they can't produce a registration number or it doesn't check out, stop there. You're not being paranoid; you're being careful.

Ask for references and follow up properly

Request the contact details of clients whose SARS disputes they've resolved. A legitimate practitioner should have at least three or four they can share (with client permission). Don't just collect the names; call them. When you speak to past clients, ask specific questions:

• What was the nature of the dispute (assessment, objection, appeal, or something else)?
• How much was in dispute, roughly speaking?
• Did the practitioner achieve a reduction or a full withdrawal of the assessment?
• How long did the process take?
• Would they recommend this person again?

Listen for hesitation or vagueness. Someone who won a real dispute will remember the details. If a reference sounds evasive or says something like "they tried their best" without mentioning an actual outcome, that's a warning. You're not asking for client names to be polite—you're doing due diligence.

If the practitioner claims they can't share references because of confidentiality, they're being evasive. Professional confidentiality doesn't prevent a satisfied client from giving their permission to be contacted; a genuine winner will have clients happy to vouch for them.

Request proof of specific wins

Ask the practitioner to share evidence of dispute outcomes. This might include:

• A SARS letter confirming withdrawal or amendment of an assessment
• Correspondence showing the original disputed amount versus the final amount SARS accepted
• A ruling or determination from the SARS Appeals and Cases Management division
• Documentation of settlement correspondence, if a compromise was reached

They should provide these anonymised (names and identifying details redacted) to protect other clients' privacy. If they refuse outright or say "I can't show you anything without revealing confidential information," that's a red flag. Redacting names takes five minutes. The fact that they won't tells you something.

Be realistic about what you're looking for. A dispute resolved five years ago might be harder to produce evidence for, but recent wins should have a paper trail. Someone who won a dispute last year should be able to pull a SARS letter or settlement agreement within a week.

Check their approach in a conversation

When you meet or call, ask them to walk you through how they'd handle your specific dispute. Do they ask detailed questions about your situation, or do they launch into a generic pitch? Do they mention timelines and SARS procedures by name (objection deadlines, appeals authority processes)? Do they explain what success might actually look like in your case, or do they promise the world?

Someone who has really fought disputes will speak with precision. They'll mention specific SARS forms, timelines, and the actual stages of escalation. Vague talk about "fighting SARS" is a sign they're selling hope, not experience.

Once you've done these checks—registration confirmed, references contacted and positive, proof of wins shared, and their approach sounds grounded—you're in a much better position to decide. You won't have eliminated all risk, but you'll have moved beyond guesswork. Finding a verified tax practitioner with a real track record on Strove means you can start this process with someone already filtered for legitimacy.