Experiences from New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Australia show that a successful rewrite project is a collaborative exercise between stakeholders. In order to undertake the rewrite efficiently, policy makers should set goals and realistic timeframes and should review them regularly. South Africa and India have taken measures to rewrite their income tax legislation but have not been able to replace it as at the time of writing in May 2021. This article seeks to ascertain whether they seriously intend to undertake the rewrite project. South Africa and India attempted to rewrite their income tax legislation without serious planning. At best, their approach can be regarded as unorganized tax reforms.