Specialist: Audit (Specialised Audit)

In brief

**Overview** This role is for a Specialist: Audit within the Specialised Audit unit of the South African Revenue Service (SARS). The primary purpose of this position is to conduct advanced, high-complexity audits to enhance compliance by issuing accurate assessments in line with relevant legislation. The Specialist will provide technical support to other auditors, leverage extensive tax, corporate, and legislative knowledge to identify tax gaps, avoidance, and evasion schemes, propose solutions to mitigate tax risks, and suggest legislative changes to improve compliance levels. **What you will do** Key responsibilities for this role include: * **Process:** * Analyse a wide spectrum of highly complex transactions across multiple tax types and/or entities/groups (local or international) to understand tax implications and ensure legislative compliance. * Analyse and recommend improvements to specialist systems, procedures, policies, and practices. * Analyse highly complex data/evidence, review identified risks, and consider additional risks across tax types, entities, or specialisation areas. * Conduct audits using new systems, digital information tools, methodology, and advanced technology to address highly complex risks, including eCommerce and digital risks. * Continuously engage with Litigation and Dispute Management to address legislative interpretation issues, potentially involving Legal counsel for highly complex matters and testifying in civil court. * Engage with Debt Management for optimal collection on liabilities raised through audit, conducting financial and cash flow analysis, and engaging taxpayers regarding debt collection, potentially involving Legal counsel. * Contribute to the optimal utilisation of organisational resources, advising on effective planning and development of specialisation area resource plans. * Coordinate and provide technical support to finalise disputes and complaints, analysing complex information provided at dispute stage across linked entities or specialised projects. * Coordinate and support the efficient progress of audits for linked/related entities/groups using approved systems. * Develop a single practice area aligned with operational activity and procedural frameworks, ensuring tactical implementation. * Utilise technical/professional expertise, knowledge, and experience to identify and recommend tactical solutions to defined problems. * Identify and escalate serious tax offences for potential criminal investigation, providing detailed analysis and applicable tax legislation, potentially engaging with the National Prosecuting Authority and testifying in criminal court. * Identify and suggest changes to legislation with relevant stakeholders and policy owners to close compliance loopholes. * Identify information required to mitigate advanced and highly complex audit risks, engaging taxpayers, tax practitioners, experts, and third parties (local and international) for information. * Identify new and additional highly complex risks for audit scope expansion, identification of new risks for other tax types and related entities for referral to Case Selection. * Integrate business information, compare, analyse, and produce reports to identify trends, discrepancies, and inconsistencies for decision making. * Optimise goal achievement through tactical strategy implementation and optimisation of practices, processes, and systems across an internal value chain. * Plan for value-added, continuous practice and system improvements to deliver objectives and enhance tactical implementation and excellence. * Prepare and issue detailed, high-level relevant communication/reports to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring coordination and alignment across related audits. * Prepare inputs based on analysis and interpretation of facts and legislation, participate in and present to relevant Committees (e.g., Technical, Understatement, Large Assessment, Objections, National Appeals Committee) to ensure consistent treatment of similar audits. * Prepare and maintain system notes of progress and outcomes (e.g., Service Manager, TeamMate) during the audit process, reviewing notes of auditors involved in linked/related entities/groups. * Proactively identify interconnected problems, determine their impact, and develop best-fit alternatives and best practice implementation solutions. * Provide guidance/technical support to other Auditors on highly complex matters/areas of specialisation, including research, training, development, and coaching. * Provide input to draft policies and procedures for product areas (e.g., different Tax Types, Process Design and Engineering). * Provide inputs and guidance to Account Maintenance on remittance of penalty and interest requests. * Raise accurate assessments on SARS systems in relation to relevant legislation, ensuring alignment of assessments across linked/related entities/groups/specialised projects. * Recommend changes to optimise processes, systems, practice areas, and associated procedures, and execute the implementation of change and innovation. * Research to identify highly complex tax risks not effectively addressed through audit or other interventions, referring these to Case Selection for new audit focus areas (e.g., industry, tax-specific risks, specialised projects). * Translate top-down policy, apply modifications to own practice area, and communicate the impact to relevant stakeholders. * Plan, conduct, and support highly complex advanced audits/projects to ensure compliance with relevant Acts/Regulations/Policies/SOPs. * **Governance:** * Develop and/or align governance and compliance policies for own practice area to identify and manage risk exposure liability. * **People:** * Integrate new knowledge and transfer skills attained through formal and informal learning opportunities in the execution of the job. * Provide specialist know-how, support, advice, and practice thought leadership in the area of expertise. * **Finance:** * Implement and monitor financial control, management of costs, and corporate governance in the area of specialisation. * **Client:** * Develop and ensure implementation of a practice that builds service delivery excellence and encourages others to provide exceptional stakeholder service. * Participate in the specialist practice community and contribute positively to organisation knowledge management. * Provide authoritative, specialist expertise and advice to internal and external stakeholders. **Requirements (from the original advert)** * **Education and Experience:** * Bachelor’s degree / Advanced Diploma NQF 7 in Audit/Tax/Accounting. * 8 years' experience in a tax audit environment. * **Minimum Functional Requirements:** * Applicable professional registration at either of the following professional bodies: * South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) * South African Institute of Taxation (SAIT) * Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) * Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) * South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA) * Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) * Legal Practice Council (LPC) * **Behavioural Competencies:** * Accountability * Analytical Thinking * Attention to Detail * Commitment to Continuous Learning * Conceptual Ability * Customer Service * Drive for Results * Expertise in Context * Fairness and Transparency * Honesty and Integrity * Organisational Awareness * Persuasion Ability * Problem Solving and Analysis * Respect * Trust * **Technical Competencies:** * Audit Methodology * Business Knowledge * Compliance Inspection * Business Writing Skills * Data Collection and Analysis * Efficiency improvement * Functional Policies and Procedures * Information management * Governance, Ethics and Values * Planning and Organising * Reporting * Tax Knowledge **Who should apply** This role is ideal for a highly experienced tax audit professional with a Bachelor’s degree or Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) in Audit, Tax, or Accounting, combined with at least 8 years of experience in a tax audit environment. The successful candidate must hold a professional registration with one of the specified bodies (SAICA, SAIT, CFA, ACCA, SAIPA, ACFE, or LPC). They should possess advanced knowledge of tax, corporate, and other relevant legislation, with a proven ability to conduct complex audits, identify tax gaps, and propose legislative solutions. The role demands strong analytical thinking, meticulous attention to detail, excellent problem-solving skills, and a high degree of honesty, integrity, and accountability. The ideal candidate will be adept at engaging with various stakeholders, providing technical guidance, and contributing to organisational knowledge and compliance excellence. **Deadline** 23rd October, 2026 **Reference** Original posting: https://www.myjobmag.co.za/job/specialist-audit-specialised-audit-the-south-african-revenue-service-sars-2 Source: myjobmag

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At a glance

• At least 8 years of experience.

• Customer service

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