Former Springbok player Schalk Burger Sr and his wine business, Welbedacht Wines, have been fined for failing to submit various tax returns.
The Paarl Magistrates Court this week imposed fines after Burger and his company did not file a series of VAT, PAYE and personal income tax returns, some dating back more than a decade, according to TimesLIVE.
Welbedacht Wines received two fines of R6 000 each for not submitting a February 2023 VAT return and a March 2023 employer declaration. Schalk faced 14 counts in total, including the same company offences and failing to submit personal income tax returns from 2011 to 2022.
The court ordered him to pay R6 000 or serve 12 months in prison for each count, with R2 000 (four months) of each sentence suspended for five years under specified conditions. This leaves Burger with R56 000 to pay or a total of 112 months in prison if unpaid, plus a suspended amount of R28 000.
In a plea and sentence agreement with prosecutors, Schalk acknowledged that both he and his company were registered with SARS in Paarl for VAT, PAYE, and personal income tax, but had not submitted the required returns. The outstanding returns were filed after the start of criminal proceedings and the issuing of a summons.
Burger applied for a deferred payment arrangement and will pay the fine in monthly instalments of R6 000, with a final payment of R8 000.
His son, 40-year-old Christiaan Francois Burger, faced similar charges for not submitting personal income tax returns for the 2011–2022 period. He was fined R48 000 or 96 months in prison, with a further R24 000 or 48 months suspended for five years.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said:”With tax season currently under way, the message is that failure to file income tax returns will not be accepted. This is an offence that affects the fiscus.”
First published by Cape {town} etc
Compiled by Aiden Daries
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