TAXMAN Oupa Magashula, the commissioner in charge of the South African Revenue Service, yesterday warned tax dodgers that they can run, but they can no longer hide from his increasingly sophisticated team.

Briefing MPs in Parliament's finance committee on mechanisms to make up for this year's R70billion tax revenue shortfall, he said Sars was continually upgrading its technical capacity and could now find undeclared interest.

"For those people who do not declare or who under-declare, we are able now to find the money you are hiding from us," he said.

Magashula said Sars had identified and was in the process of charging 4000employers who deducted pay as you earn contributions from staff, but did not pass the money to the state.

The revenue service had also implemented substantially heavier penalties for people who do not submit tax returns by the deadline.

Those who are often late will face tougher fines. The current deadline for e-filing via the Internet is November 20.

He said Sars had calculated that about 3million returns were outstanding.

"That does not mean there are 3million people who need to file."