Actress and DJ Pearl Thusi is facing a major tax dispute with the South African Revenue Service (SARS), but she has rejected the nearly R15 million figure contained in a formal demand, describing the amount as “grossly incorrect and therefore misleading”.
The demand, issued on 6 August 2026 and electronically filed on 2 September, identifies the entertainer by her full name, Sithembile Xola Thusi.
According to the court-related documents, SARS is seeking approximately R9.8 million in personal income tax, around R5.2 million in interest, and a further R20,000 administrative penalty.
However, the documents do not indicate which tax years are involved or provide details of the underlying assessment that resulted in the amount being demanded.
Pearl Thusi disputes the amount claimed by SARS
Thusi has confirmed that she is aware of the SARS matter and said she has been communicating directly with the revenue authority.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, the Queen Sono star acknowledged that there is an amount outstanding but strongly disputed the figure reported in the demand.
“While I acknowledge that there is an amount owing to SARS, the figure quoted is grossly incorrect and therefore misleading.”
Her response introduces an important distinction in the dispute: Thusi is not denying that there is a tax matter, but she says the amount publicly associated with it is substantially inaccurate.
She also indicated that she intends to resolve the issue.
That means the reported R15 million should not automatically be treated as the final amount she owes. Taxpayers can challenge assessments and seek different arrangements with SARS where the relevant legal requirements are met.
SARS gives Thusi 10 business days
The formal demand gave Thusi 10 business days to either settle the amount or take steps to deal with the outstanding liability.
Depending on the circumstances, the available mechanisms can include entering into a payment arrangement, applying for a compromise or formally disputing an assessment.
The specific route available depends on the nature and status of the tax debt.
The demand also warns of potential enforcement action if the matter remains unresolved.
SARS may, in appropriate circumstances, pursue money owed to a taxpayer by third parties. It can also seek a civil judgment, after which assets may potentially be attached and sold through the legal enforcement process.
Interest can continue to accrue while an outstanding amount remains unpaid, subject to the applicable tax rules and the status of any dispute or suspension.
Why the tax dispute has attracted attention
A tax demand of this size is significant, particularly because it involves a well-known South African public figure whose income may come from multiple entertainment-related activities.
Thusi has worked across television, film, presenting, modelling and music, while also building a career as a DJ.
For individuals with multiple income streams, tax administration can involve considerably more than a single monthly salary. Income from appearances, performances, endorsements, commercial work and other activities can create additional reporting and compliance obligations.
However, the documents made public in this matter do not explain how SARS calculated the amount attributed to Thusi, meaning it would be premature to speculate about the source of the alleged liability.
SARS declines to discuss Thusi’s tax affairs
SARS spokesperson Siphithi Sibeko declined to comment specifically on Thusi’s case.
That position is consistent with the confidentiality surrounding individual taxpayer information.
Thusi herself questioned how details of her tax affairs had entered the public domain, pointing to the legal obligation on SARS to protect taxpayer information.
This creates a second issue alongside the amount under dispute: whether confidential taxpayer information was properly disclosed and how the documents became publicly accessible.
Neither issue should be treated as resolved simply because the demand has been reported.
What happens next?
The next stage will depend largely on how Thusi and SARS resolve the disputed amount.
If she accepts the relevant assessment, she could pursue an arrangement to settle the liability. If she disputes SARS’s calculation, the matter could move through the formal tax dispute-resolution process.
Until that process is concluded, the figure of nearly R15 million represents the amount contained in the demand reported in the documents — not a court finding that Thusi personally owes R15 million.
Her public response also makes clear that she believes the reported figure is materially wrong.
For now, the tax dispute places one of South Africa’s best-known entertainers in a potentially costly confrontation with SARS, but the final financial outcome remains unresolved.
