Mark Kingon has been appointed as the acting SARS commissioner, National Treasury has confirmed.

Kingon is currently the acting chief officer of business and individual taxes division at the revenue service.

"He has been with SARS since its establishment and worked his way through the ranks to become the Group Executive: Relationship Management within Business and Individual Taxes," the department said in a statement.

Kingon, who has worked for the revenue service for almost 34 years, was last week announced as acting Chief Officer: Business and Individual Taxes after the resignation of Jonas Makwakwa. He had previously also, among others, worked in SARS' enforcement and legal departments. Kingon's appointment comes after SARS commissioner Tom Moyane was on Monday suspended with immediate effect.

A statement released by the Presidency on Monday night said that President Cyril Ramaphosa told Moyane in a letter that developments at the revenue service under Moyane's leadership has caused "a deterioration in public confidence in the institution and in public finances being compromised".

Ramaphosa's spokesperson Khusela Diko said concern was raised in particular about the manner in which Moyane handled the matter of Jonas Makwakwa, who resigned last week, "his treatment of the report given to him by the Financial Intelligence Centre, and his failure to immediately report this to the Minister of Finance".

Diko said Ramaphosa also pointed out the management of VAT refunds, which had brought the SARS into "serious disrepute" and potentially jeopardised the integrity of the SARS as collector of revenue and adversely affected tax morality among tax payers.

The decision to suspend Moyane followed a meeting in which the Ramaphosa informed Moyane that he had lost confidence in his ability to lead SARS and offered him an opportunity to resign with immediate effect, which Moyane declined, Diko said.