Written by Nicci
Updated 16 April 2025
Surely most of us love to travel, but traveling for business purposes is no fun when it comes to completing your tax return.
SARS has some rather onerous requirements, but as long as you know what you need, submitting your documents to SARS should be plain sailing.
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Written by Nicci
Updated 1 February 2025
Seasoned provisional taxpayers – those people who earn income from sources other than, or in addition to a regular ol' salary or traditional payment from an employer - are all too familiar with the process of estimating taxable income and submitting provisional tax returns. Not once - but twice a year!
Yes, it's a bit painful (although TaxTim makes it super easy) but entirely necessary if you don't want to be lumped with penalties from SARS...
Written by Vee
Updated 21 November 2024
Getting a new business venture off the ground is an equally exciting and stressful time. You’re enthusiastic about getting your new product or service out into the market, but you face quite an administrative process to get it off the ground legally.
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Written by Nicci
Updated 30 September 2024
If you're a regular employee (i.e non-provisional taxpayer), your tax filing deadline is 21 October 2024. But, if you do fall into the provisional taxpayer category, your deadline extends to 20 January 2025.
However, it's super important to note that if you were auto-assessed, then your deadline is 21 October 2024 even if you qualify as a provisional taxpayer.
Now, if you're thinking about waiting until the later deadline next year and consider yourself a provisional taxpayer,...
Written by Evan
Updated 20 July 2024
SARS 2024 tax season dates:
15 July 2024 to 21 October 2024: individual (non-provisional) taxpayers
15 July 2024 to 20 January 2025: provisional taxpayers
If you earn less than R500 000 in a year, and fulfill a series of complicated criteria, you may not have to file a tax return in 2024.
However, we advise you to take GREAT CARE here, and understand your duties properly, because if you don't, you may suffer for it later on.
Here are the top 5 reasons why you should not skip filing your tax return this season:
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Written by Nicci
Updated 18 June 2024
SARS have recently become a lot stricter about levying administrative penalties. These are penalties for missing the deadline to submit your tax return. You can read about these recent changes in the law here.
If you have outstanding/un-filed tax returns from prior years, chances are high that SARS will have slapped on administrative penalties.
You may have recentl...
Written by Nicci
Posted 4 June 2024
The 2024 filing season opens this year on Monday, 15 July.
Tihs year, the tax season is even shorter than last year (and last year was shorter than the prior year!). This means that SARS are giving you less time to file your tax return.
Important Filing Deadlines
21 October 2024: salaried employees, who earn no other income (i.e non-provisional taxpayers)
20 January 2025: self-emplo...
Written by Nicci
Updated 17 April 2024
Taking a closer look at why taxpayers may be required to pay in tax on pensions or annuities on assessment and how they can avoid a repetition of this each year.
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Written by Vee
Updated 19 March 2024
As a nation, South Africa does rather poorly on the savings front. With the majority living near or below the breadline, there’s not much to save when you’re more concerned with just getting through the month. Our high levels of consumer-debt, combined with little in the way of personal savings, means we become financial burdens on the government in the long-run...
Written by Vee
Updated 19 March 2024
You’ve been up since 4am in order to catch yet another red-eye flight for a 9am business meeting - 1,400km away - and you’re already onto your third coffee by the time you board the plane.
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Written by Nicci
Posted 21 February 2024
South Africans were bracing themselves for bad news when Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered his budget speech yesterday. However, in line with expectations during an election year, he delivered the reassuring news that there would be no significant tax hikes, no VAT increase, and no introduction of a new wealth tax. Contrary to earlier speculation, the medical tax rebate is also set to stay for a while longer.
However, this positive news is not without consequences. As South ...
Written by Nicci
Posted 14 June 2023
The 2023 filing season opens this year at 8pm on Friday, 7 July. The countdown's on, it's almost here!
It is important to be aware that the season is shorter than prior years. This means that SARS are giving you less time to file your return.
Important Filing Deadlines
23 October 2023: non-provisional taxpayer (i.e. salaried employees)
24 January 2024: provisional taxpayer (i.e self-employed, rental earners, freelancers, ...
Written by Alicia
Updated 14 June 2023
Last year, we noticed that many taxpayers filed their tax returns before the tax season officially began (i.e July). However, doing so caused delays and problems with their tax refunds.
There are only three specific instances where you can file your tax return (ITR12) directly on eFiling before tax season starts:
Written by Nicci
Posted 22 February 2023
Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, delivered his second budget speech to South Africans yesterday. The energy crisis played centre stage with the minister announcing that the government will take over a large part of Eskom's debt. He also outlined two major tax incentives to encourage individuals and businesses to invest in renewable energy and independent electricity generation. Much to everyone's relief, he went on further to announce that there would be no major tax proposals for the year...
Written by Nicci
Posted 19 October 2022
Tick-tock, time is running out for non-provisional taxpayers to submit their 2022 tax return. The filing deadline of 24 October 2022 is just around the corner.
Provisional Taxpayers: your tax return filing deadline is 23 January 2023. Breathe easy.
If you ‘think’ you are a Provisional Taxpayer, we strongly suggest you make 100% sure you me...
Written by Nicci
Updated 27 June 2022
Too often, taxpayers rush when completing their tax return, and then they miss out on some expenses they are eligible to claim. Don’t overpay tax by overlooking these seven common tax breaks.
Contributions towards a Retirement Annuity
Your contributions towards retirement funds are deductible for tax up to a limit of 27,5% of the greater of your taxable income or remuneration (to a maximum of R350,000 per year). This limit applies to the total contributions you make to any Pension, Provident or Retirement Annuity (RA) fund during the year...
Written by Nicci
Posted 10 June 2022
The 2022 filing season opens on 1 July. Tick tock. That’s just around the corner.
It is important to be aware that the season is shorter than prior years. This means that SARS are giving you less time to file your return.
Important Filing Deadlines
24 October 2022: non-provisional taxpayer (i.e. salaried employees)
23 January 2023: provisional taxpayer (i.e self-employed, rental earners, freelancers, etc)
Auto-Assess...
Written by Nicci
Posted 10 June 2022
SARS is warning that those who fail to submit their tax return on time, will face harsh penalties. The period of leeway which applied to 2021 has now passed.
SARS announced a change to their legislation in December 2021 whereby they would levy administrative penalties to taxpayers who missed the filing deadline for one or more tax returns. Prior to this change, taxpayers only paid penalties when two or more returns were outstanding.
As a...
Written by Nicci
Posted 23 February 2022
All eyes were on Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, when he delivered his maiden budget speech to South Africans yesterday. Taxpayers breathed a sigh of relief when he announced that there would be no major tax hikes. This was welcome news for South Africans who are dealing with the effects of Covid-19, rising inflation, interest rate hikes and significant fuel price increases. 'Now is not the time to increase taxes' - thank you Mr Minister, we couldn't agree with you more!
The minister announced that SARS had brought in R182 billion more in taxes than had been predicted last year in February...
Written by Patrick
Posted 25 February 2021
The Minister delivered some welcome news to South Africans yesterday when he announced that plans to hike taxes by R40 billion rand over the next four years, have been scrapped. This is largely attributed to a surge in tax revenue from mines, as well as a faster than expected recovery in VAT collections towards the end of last year.
He went on further to say, that there would be no significant tax increases at all in the year ahead. Contrary to speculation, the much-anticipated Covid-19 vaccination programme will not be funded by tax hikes...
Written by Nicci
Posted 9 February 2021
1. Estimate your taxable income for the whole tax year
Remember that both your first and second provisional return (IRP6) must reflect an estimate of your taxable income for the full 12 months of the tax year.
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Written by Nicci
Posted 8 May 2020
On Tuesday evening, the SARS commissioner, Edward Kieswetter, held a media briefing to talk about the challenges that SARS is facing due to Covid-19.
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Written by Nicci
Posted 10 April 2020
Written by Nicci
Posted 21 February 2020
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed South Africa for the fourth time on Thursday, 13 February 2020. The event commemorated the 30 year anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. As of 1 March 2020, South Africans working abroad will have to comply with the amended laws on expat tax. Amendments to the Income Tax Act includes the exemption of taxes up to the first R1 million per annum.
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Expat Tax
Written by Nicci
Posted 14 February 2020
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