The Presidency announced on Friday that it had served suspended SARS Commissioner Tom Moyane with disciplinary charges.
The charges relate to alleged misconduct in violation of his duties and responsibilities in terms of the South African Revenue Service Act, Public Finance Management Act and SARS Code of Conduct.
Retired Constitutional Court Judge Kate O’Regan will preside over the disciplinary inquiry, which relates to alleged leadership and organisational failures.
President Cyril Ramaphosa first made mention of an inquiry into the governance of SARS in his first State of the Nation Address in February.
The disciplinary charges follows Moyane's March suspension with "immediate effect" pending the institution of disciplinary proceedings.
The statement by the Presidency then referenced two specific reasons for Moyane's suspension, as well as a "deterioration in public confidence" in the tax agency under his watch.
The two reasons cited were Moyane's handling of the investigation into top SARS official Jonas Makwakwa, and "the management of VAT refunds" which had "brought the SARS into serious disrepute".