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Deductions Posts in Tax Q&A

How do I declare my income from freelance writing?

  Written by Alicia  

Hi there, I just wanted to know which fields I should fill in/select. I'm a freelance writer and want to declare my income from this work (in addition to full time income).

This query relates to question 4283 "Please add up all your business incomes and then subtract all your business expenses, as declared here. This will tell you if your business made a Profit or a Loss. Using the business code table, please enter the applicable 4 digit profit / loss code that describes your ...



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Can I claim the interest I paid on the bond for both my properties?

  Written by Alicia  

Originally my primary residence (property A) had less than R10,000 remained on the bond. When I bought my rental property B, I borrowed money from my bond for my primary residence (property A) and put that full amount into the rental bond (property B). This was to reduce the interest charges on the rental property (B),given Property A has a lower interest rate than Property B. How do I show SARS that the interest charged on Property A and property B in both bond counts against the renta...



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I pay annually to be registered with a professional body (nursing) - can I claim this back?

  Written by Alicia  

I pay annually to be registered with a professional body (nursing) - can I claim this back?

Do the services supplied by a prosthodontist qualify as an additional medical expense?

  Written by Alicia  

Do the services supplied by a prosthodontist qualify as an additional medical expense?

When am I allowed to claim for my business traveling?

  Written by Alicia  

If I am an individual working for an employer through a contracting house, can I claim a travel expense for the distance traveled to a client? Do I need the contracting house need to include a specific travel allowance item on my payslip?

Are expenses on my primary residence for improvement and renovation tax deductible?

  Written by Alicia  

Are expenses on my primary residence for improvement and renovation tax deductible?

Can I submit old returns with TaxTim's help?

  Written by Alicia  

Is there any way to fill in tax returns from 2011-2015? I have been able to successfully file for the 2016 tax period. For the period from 2011 to 2015 as was a salaried employee and had no other additional income. My income tax over the period was fully paid as my employer was responsible for paying this directly to SARS. Is it possible to file for previous years? Are there likely to be any penalties, and are is still possible to claim for previous deductions such as pension fund contributions ...



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Property insurance on holiday rental property, can I claim it back from SARS?

  Written by Alicia  

Does insurance include building and content if it is a holiday home?

Professional/ Registration and Medical insurance paid, can I claim this back from SARS?

  Written by Alicia  

I would like to know where do I add in my Professional fees paid to the HPCSA and MPS, then also educational courses done and paid for.

Refund paid into closed account, how can I get it paid out again?

  Written by Alicia  

I have submitted my tax return a few weeks ago, but unfortunately did not update my banking details and refund went into the closed account. I've since updated my banking details at the SARS offices, but when I've contacted the call centre, I was told there's a stop on the refund, that I have to go back to the offices to lift the stop. I have done that, I would like know, how long does the whole process normally takes?

When do I declare and deduct maintenance and upgrade to my rental property to SARS?

  Written by Alicia  

How can I derive maximum benefit from maintenance and upgrades that I have made to a rental property? Can I declare the expense for the current tax year and also declare it for Capital Gains Tax purposes when I sell the property? Is there another way in which I can benefit from this expense?

Multiple small revenue streams - consolidate expenses across all? (Sole prop)

  Written by Alicia  

I have multiple small revenue streams, some with expenses attached to them. Do I ringfence each income/expense area, or do I consolidate them which would enable 'cross-subsidisation' of expenses?

Can I claim this unpaid loan as a capital loss?

  Written by Alicia  

I made a loan of R25 000 to a family member, which I will not be able to recover. I understand that I cannot claim this as a bad debt. Can I claim this unpaid loan as a capital loss and would there be any effect in terms of reducing my taxable amount?

Medical Aid contributions, am I due a refund?

  Written by Alicia  

I am on the Government Medical Aid Fund (GEMS). My employer contributes a portion and I contribute as well. Both amounts go directly off my salary as a lump sum monthly. How does this affect my tax refund?

Am I due to pay CGT on my rental income?

  Written by Alicia  

If my rental income are paid directly into my bond account, do I have to pay Capital Gains Tax on it?

Can I get a UK CGT credit against SA CGT?

  Written by Alicia  

If I am resident in SA but sell a UK property I will have to pay UK CGT, but as this isn't income tax, will I get a credit for the UK CGT paid against the SA income tax due on the gain?

Can a landlord claim travel expenses in relation to the rental income?

  Written by Alicia  

If the landlord has driven from JHB to CT, for example, primarily to effect repairs & maintenance on their rental property between tenants, as well as to meet with prospective letting agents for future employment, can they claim the petrol for this trip? (Approx. Two thirds of this time was spent on rental-related activities, showing the apartment etc, & one third of the time was recreational). If a deduction is possible, what proof does SARS require? Thanks very much.

Freelance & Full time job tax submission, can I complete this on one form?

  Written by Alicia  

I have a full time job, but do freelance on the side. I would like to submit for my job as well as my freelance, including the mac I bought, my Fiber line rental and anything I purchased to run my freelance job. Is this possible? Which option should I apply for?

Are retrospective changes to an IRP5 possible with SARS?

  Written by Alicia  

I am an independent contractor and do consulting work for a number of companies at any given time. When the one company submitted the 2016 IRP5 they erroneously categorized my source code as 3601, instead of 3616 for independent contractors, hence I cannot claim costs. I have asked them to amend the IRP5 but they say they cannot because they have finished their tax recon and signed off on 2016 and can no longer make changes. Is this true? What alternatives do I have?

SARS ring-fenced the loss on my rental property, can I request that they revise my assessment?

  Written by Alicia  

I had a property that I rented out to tenants for the last 4 years. In the 2015/16 tax year, I made a loss on this, due to the expenses exceeding the rental income I received. I reflected this loss in my tax return. SARS then audited my tax return, and they ring-fenced the loss. However, at the end of the 2015/16 tax year, I sold the property, and have obviously not been receiving rent or incurring expenses relating to the property since then. What now happens to the ring-fenced amount? Am I entitled to ask SARS to re-assess given the circumstances? Or do I just accept it as a loss?...



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How do I get SARS to acknowledge my expenses?

  Written by Alicia  

I sent through all the supporting documents but SARS ignored my expenses and redid my tax return and are now saying that I owe them?

Old donation, can I claim it now?

  Written by Alicia  

In 2013 I made a donation of R5000 to a registered charity which I forgot to claim.
Is it possible to claim it in my 2015/2016 tax return?

If I have been medically boarded and receive income protection benefit does this mean I am disabled?

  Written by Alicia  

I was medically boarded at the end of 2015 but am covered by a Discovery Income Protector policy. Does that mean I am "disabled" for tax purposes?

Out of pocket expenses with no medical aid, can I claim?

  Written by Alicia  

Can you claim for out of pocket medical expenses if i did not have a medical aid and will this decrease my tax liability?

Can I claim for depreciation on my vehicle?

  Written by Alicia  

Can I claim for wear and tear on my personal vehicle and how do I do it? I kept a logbook because I am getting a non taxable allowance for the km driven for business purposes.
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