Overview

In August 2024, the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) launched a systemic investigation into the hijacking of taxpayer eFiling profiles—an escalating threat that had real consequences for refunds, practitioner liability, and public trust.

Triggered by a flood of complaints that began in 2021 and spiked again in 2023–2024, the OTO identified the hijackings as a systemic problem. In a joint statement, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the OTO reaffirmed that protecting taxpayer information remained a top priority.

The webinar distilled the investigation’s findings and stakeholder insights to show what had been driving profile takeovers, where the control gaps lay, and how taxpayers and practitioners could have strengthened their defenses without disrupting day-to-day compliance.

Presenter

Fundiswa Ngqeleni

Acting Senior Manager: Operations

Fundiswa has over ten years of experience in the legal field, currently serving as a Specialist in Legal Services at the Office of the Tax Ombud, where she provides legal support and conducts presentations on complex tax issues. Prior to this, she worked as a Legal Adviser at SARS for four years.

Ngqeleni’s career has spanned various roles, including claims handler and cost consultant at Scorpion Legal Protection and claims negotiator at Mutual and Federal. She holds an LLB, a Higher Diploma in Tax Law, and a Diploma in International Tax Law from the University of Johannesburg, along with several other qualifications, including a Business Rescue Certificate and a Certificate in Programme for Management Development from GIBS. She is currently completing her board exams for Company Secretary at CGISA.

CPD

Attending this webinar and the successful completion of the online assessment will secure a certificate of completion for 1 hour of Tax CPD.

Event Investment

Complimentary access.