Taxation has become one of the most important concepts in the everyday lives of millions of taxpayers in South Africa. Not only does SARS require each and every employee to be registered as taxpayer but people are more and more reliant on the money in their pocket for everyday survival. Taxpayers want to know why they pay taxes, how the taxes deducted from their income is calculated and what the government is doing with such taxes deducted from the taxpayers. It would thus be for the benefit of both taxpayer and SARS to provide taxpayers in South Africa with a basic form of tax education to provide them with knowledge regarding how the tax system works. School-going children are the future taxpayers of South Africa and therefore it is deemed the most effective place to educate such future taxpayers about taxation. This will allow South African taxpayers to have a basic knowledge on their tax affairs as well as to make informed decisions about their tax affairs. Increasing the level of the taxpayer’s knowledge about taxes will lead to an increase in the attitude of taxpayers about their tax affairs. This will result in an increase in the level of the country’s tax compliance rate and ultimately resulting in the overall increase in the income basis of the South African government. AFRIKAANS : Belasting is besig om een van die mees belangrikste konsepte in die allerdaagse lewe van miljoene belastingpligtiges in Suid-Afrika te word. Nie net alleen vereis die SAID dat ieder en elke werknemer vir belasting geregistreer word nie maar belastingpligtiges raak al hoe meer afhanklik van die geld in hulle sak vir allerdaagse oorlewing. Belastingpligtiges wil weet waarom hulle belasting betaal, hoe die belasting wat hulle betaal bereken word en hoe die belasting wat hulle betaal deur die Suid-Afrikaanse regering spandeer word. Dit sal dus vir beide die belastingbetaler sowel as vir die SAID voordelig wees dat belastingpligtiges in Suid-Afrika ‘n basiese opleiding in die veld van belasting ontvang ten einde hulle te voorsien van kennis rondom die belastingstelsel van Suid-Afrika. Skoolgaande kinders is die toekomstige belastingpligtiges van die land en dit word geag die mees effektiewe plek te wees om die toekomstige belastingpligtiges te onderrig rakende die onderwerp van belasting. Dit sal alle Suid-Afrikaanse belastingpligtiges toerus met ‘n basiese vlak van kennis rakende hulle belastingsake en om hulle in staat te stel om ingeligte besluite te maak rondom hulle belastingsake. Deur dus die vlak van kennis van belastingpligtiges te verhoog, sal dit lei tot ‘n verhoging in die algehele gesindheid van die belastingpligtiges rondom hulle belastingsake. Dit sal verder lei tot ‘n verhoging in die land se belastingnakomingskoers wat dan uiteindelik sal lei tot ‘n verhoging in die inkomste basis van die Suid-Afrikaanse regering. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Taxation / unrestricted

The critical ingredient for revenue collection for any government is the attainment of a sufficient level of tax compliance on the part of taxpayers. Ideally any government would want one hundred percent compliance which would mean optimal tax collection. Tax compliance is influenced by the behaviours of taxpayers which are shaped by their attitudes, and such attitudes are influenced by various factors. Understanding taxpayers’ behaviours in terms of factors that influence their attitudes towards tax compliance is therefore important in encouraging higher levels of compliance and minimisation of non-compliance. It is important for any government and revenue collecting authority to understand the reasons why taxpayers choose not to comply with tax laws as such understanding will have an impact on both the equity and efficiency of the economy. AFRIKAANS : Die bereiking van ‘n voldoende vlak van belastingnakoming aan die kant van die belastingpligtiges is van wesentlike belang vir enige regering by die invordering van belasting. In die ideale geval soek enige regering een honderd present voldoening wat optimale belastinginvordering sou beteken. Belastingnakoming word beïnvloed deur die gedrag van belastingpligtiges wat bepaal word deur hulle houding, en daardie houding word weer beïnvloed deur verskeie faktore. Dit is belangrik om belastingpligtiges se gedrag teenoor belastingnakoming te verstaan om sodoende hoër vlakke van nakoming aan te moedig en om nie-nakoming te minimiseer. Dit is belangrik vir alle regerings en inkomsteinvorderingsowerhede om die redes te verstaan waarom belastingpligtiges verkies om nie belastingwetgewing na te kom nie aangesien dit 'n impak het op beide die billikheid en doeltreffendheid van die ekonomie. Copyright 2011, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Nghaamwa, OMI 2011, The factors influencing attitudes of Namibian taxpayers towards taxation, MCom dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-03082012-130634 / > F12/4/159/gm / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Taxation / unrestricted