About us

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The Department of Taxation in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the University of Pretoria presented its first modules in 2002. At this time the offerings in the Department consisted of undergraduate taxation modules, the academic qualification for potential chartered accountants and a MCom in Taxation degree (which existed since 1989). As the Department evolved, it became vital to expand the offerings to students, resulting in a BCom Honours in Taxation degree that was developed in 2007. To supplement the already successful MCom in Taxation degree, a PhD in Taxation was introduced in 2011. In 2019, the postgraduate offerings were extended to a MPhil in International Taxation.

With an increase in staff members who obtained PhD degrees, the departmental focus also shifted towards research. This is evident from the multiple national and international research awards obtained, as well as the participation of the Department’s academics on editorial boards of accredited journals. Prof Annet Oguttu, the Acting Head of the Department is an NRF-rated researcher. During the last five years, the Department of Taxation was twice announced as the winner in the category of Most Improved Research Outputs by a Department in the Faculty of Economic and Management Science (EMS). Prof Oguttu received the award for the Best Senior Researcher in Finance in the Faculty EMS during 2021. The Department appointed two extraordinary professors (Prof Chris Evans from Australia and Prof Lisa Marriott from New Zealand), as well as an extraordinary lecturer (Dr Gerhard Nienaber). The research outputs of the Department are consistently increasing and promise higher quality and an escalation in quantity in the future.

From a teaching and learning perspective, the Department of Taxation is an innovation-oriented department. This is evident from the ground-breaking teaching and learning initiatives over the years. Most prominently, Theresa van Oordt received the University of Pretoria Laureate award for Teaching Excellence and Innovation in 2014, and Prof Hanneke du Preez and Tanya Hill again received the award in 2021.

Community engagement remains a high priority for the Department. The Department contributes towards a business incubator at the Mamelodi Campus of the University of Pretoria, where tax education is presented to local small business owners by students from the Tax Honours class.

The Department is continuously engaging with stakeholders in the taxation landscape. Our industry partners include SAIT, SAICA, SAIPA, SARS, National Treasury, Tax Ombud, IBFD, ATAF and various firms and institutions playing a pivotal role in tax and tax policy.

The Department of Taxation is building on the past, infusing the present and creating a future abound with opportunities for all who tread through the taxation landscape.

Thank you to our sponsors:

 

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