Here is the rewritten story in the requested format: South African Revenue Service (SARS) Collects R1.231 Trillion in Revenue, Pays Out R239 Billion in Tax Refunds The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has collected R1.231 trillion in revenue by the end of September 2026, with net revenue reaching R992.2 billion. This represents a 7.3% increase compared to the same period last year and is R15.5 billion above the February 2026 Budget estimate. SARS paid out R239.1 billion in tax refunds during the first six months of the 2026/27 financial year. The revenue service collected R1.231 trillion in gross collections, with R239.1 billion being refund payments. The net revenue was R15.5 billion above the February 2026 Budget estimate and higher than the corresponding period last year. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana raised the full-year revenue estimate by R17.1 billion to R2.144 trillion in his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on Wednesday. Despite Treasury lowering its economic growth forecast for 2026 from 1.6% to 1.2%, SARS Commissioner Johnstone Makhubu welcomed the revised estimate, emphasizing the importance of stronger economic growth to support revenue collection. The revenue service reported stronger collections from corporate income tax, domestic VAT, and pay-as-you-earn (PAYE), as well as lower-than-expected VAT refunds. Compliance efforts secured a preliminary R137.7 billion during the first six months, including R76.3 billion in cash collections and R61.3 billion in revenue leakage prevented. SARS Commissioner Makhubu stated that every rand recovered through compliance interventions protects honest taxpayers and strengthens the fiscal framework.