Do your Tax with TaxTim and WIN R10,000  More info   T&C's apply

Penalties Posts in TaxTim's Blog


Important Tax Filing Reminder: Don't Miss the Deadline



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,...

Read more →

5 Reasons you Still Need to File your Tax Return




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:

Read more →

The 3 R's: Returns, Rebates and Refunds Explained




When it comes to tax jargon, most people prefer to bury their heads in the sand instead of trying to understand all the confusing terms that tax practitioners use. Taxpayers just want to do their tax quickly and easily, and if they’re due - receive some money back from SARS. A lot of confusion surrounds the process, but by understanding three simple terms you can make tax season a little bit easier.

Read more →

How long do I have to wait for my tax refund?




Like in previous years, there have always been opening tax season niggles and 2024 has been no different. Patience is a virtue, so the adage goes.

Read more →

I have received a SARS admin penalty - what do I do now?



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...

Read more →

I received an SMS saying I owe SARS, but I can't see it anywhere?



SARS have recently become a lot stricter with late filers and have changed their rules for administrative penalties. You can read more about these changes here.   There used to be some leeway for taxpayers who missed the deadline, but sadly these days are certainly over. 

If you received a notification of debt from...

Read more →

Here is the process to follow if you have a dormant company



It seems that dormant companies are on SARS' radar.

If you registered a company with CIPC some time ago and forgot about it, that company could land you in hot water with SARS. Read more to find out what the financial repercussions could be and why you should get a hold on the situation.

What is a dormant company?

A dormant company is classified as a company that has not actively traded for the full year of assessment.  Because there is no activity in the compan...

Read more →

How to set up a payment arrangement with SARS



With the end of the tax year looming, SARS tax collectors are on high alert to collect taxes and meet their revenue targets.

If you owe SARS, you should be receiving constant reminders to pay your debt. This may be in the form of SMS's, phone calls or even posted letters.

If the debt is unfamiliar or if you are not in agreement with the debt, you can File a dispute with SARS , howe...

Read more →

Provisional Taxpayers:  Unpacking Your Tax Season Deadline



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...

Read more →

SARS penalties: strict rules for 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...

Read more →

Provisional Tax Penalties




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...

Read more →

Calculate interest on late provisional tax payment



SARS charges interest on late payments made toward provisional tax deadlines.

To calculate this late payment penalty, use the formula below:

Provisional tax amount x 7% x (days after deadline / 365)


Use the calculator below:



Read more →

Important Notice: You Will Face New Penalties if You Miss the November Tax Deadline



If you’re an individual non-provisional taxpayer, make sure you file your tax return before or on the deadline of 2 December 2021.

SARS is warning that those who fail to submit on time, will face penalties. Legislation has changed and you will have to pay penalties in January 2022 if you have not submitted one or more of your returns. This means that if you file your 2021 return after the deadline, SARS will levy an admin penalty.

Before, you only paid penalties when two...

Read more →

SARS can now fine you or take you to jail for these tax mistakes




In the past SARS needed to prove that a taxpayer had committed a tax crime “willfully and without just cause” but the legislation has just been changed. The court can now find you guilty of a tax crime even in cases of negligence or even in a case where the taxpayer may have made a mistake.

The amended law separates non-compliance into two groups: the first is where the taxpayer’s intention is not considered, and the other group is where the taxpayer’s intentio...

Read more →

How is Commission Taxed? 3 Ways Your Company Taxes Commission




Our helpdesk receives hundreds of questions related to tax where commission is involved. A misconception that comes up time

Read more →

Do I earn enough to have to pay tax?




Why must I pay tax, I don’t earn enough! Will I get a penalty if I don’t disclose all my income to SARS?

Read more →

Promised a Guaranteed Tax Refund? Be Afraid - Be Very Afraid




Guarantees are pretty powerful – they’re used by leading manufacturers and retailers to gain our confidence and trust.

Read more →

Why don't I get a tax deduction for Out of Pocket Medical Expenses?




Tax season always throws up some interesting and confusing calculations, but for many, the most confusing of all is how medical aid contributions and Out of Pocket medical expenses are treated.

Read more →

File by 4th of December to avoid penalties




The deadline for non-provisional taxpayers to file their tax return is just around the corner. Taxpayers have until 4th December to submit their return and avoid unwanted penalties and interest.

Read more →

What to expect after submitting your tax return to SARS




As soon as tax season opens in July, many taxpayers rush to submit their ITR12 tax returns as early as possible, eagerly hoping for a nice refund.

Read more →

Penalty FAQs



What is a recurring penalty? OR What are recurring SARS penalties? OR What does it mean to receive a penalty?
This is a penalty for non-submission of your returns in previous years. You need to see which returns you have not submitted and submit them ASAP. You also need to make payment to SARS for this penalty, but you would have to call them on 0800 00 7277 or log onto SARS eFiling to get a current statement of account and know exactly what they want from you.

Rebate FAQs



What is a rebate?
A rebate is an amount by which SARS takes off the actual taxes owing to them. SARS will calculate the amount of tax that you owe to them, based on your income and expenses throughout the year, then if certain conditions apply, they’ll reduce the amount due.

What does a negative tax refund amount mean?
This means SARS owes you money

What do I do if my refund was paid into the wrong bank account? ...

Read more →

5 Great Reasons to File Your Tax Return Early This Year



Are you the type of person dashing into the store to grab a birthday gift en route to a party? Or perhaps you’ve found yourself scratching through your craft box at 11pm the night before to make a ‘World Book Day’ outfit for your son? Or possibly you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of South Africans who waits until the last week of November to file your tax return?

While I’m not suggesting that every minute of your life needs to be pre-planned and organised, there are certainly a number of benefits to getting your tax done early...

Read more →

2016 Budget Speech: Welcome Back, Minister! You Couldn't Have Returned Just for the Free Lunch?



The 24th of February 2016 was supposed to be a watershed moment for the Economy of South Africa. The old-new Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, was to deliver his budget for the 2016/2017 tax year and save South Africa from a financial pit-fall in the form of an International Ratings Agency downgrade. The jury is still out on whether or not this is possible. Immediately after the budget was revealed the Rand tumbled 2%, which doesn’t bode well for market sentiment. However, ...

Read more →

What You Need to Know About Changes to the Tax Clearance System



Tax compliance makes its way into many aspects of life and business. Perhaps you’re considering applying for a tender, or for a foreign investment allowance to move funds offshore, or even looking to emigrate and leave our shores. These are just a few examples of instances where you may be asked by a third party to provide a Tax Clearance Certificate.

And until now, the course of action to obtain your certificate has been a tedious one.

Upon request, SARS would check its records and verify that the taxpayer had filed all required tax returns, paid all taxes, penalties and interest due, before releasing a Tax Clearance Certificate confirming a good standing...

Read more →

Older posts →  1  2

Submit your tax return right here!

TaxTim will help you:

 Do Your Tax Return Easily
 Avoid penalties
 Maximise your refund

Tim uses your answers to complete your income tax return instantly and professionally, with everything filled in in the right place.

Let Tim submit your tax return direct to SARS in just a few clicks!

Get started

Blog Categories


Ask TaxTim

Got a question you want answered about tax?

Visit our helpdesk

Get SARS Tax Deadlines in your Inbox
We'll tell you when you need to file, along with tax tips and updates.