How to Change/Verify Your Bank Details at SARS
Updated 10 April 2024
SARS has recently issued a new guide with regards to updating your banking details with them. This was done in order to reduce the risk of refunds being paid into the wrong accounts and also to streamline the process, which has tended to be an onerous one in the past.
Change of bank details can be done:
- in person at a SARS branch (During the pandemic, it would be best to make a telephonic appointment with SARS and then send them your supporting documents, SARS will cont...
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Do You Need to Ring-Fence Your Business or Rental Losses for Tax?
Updated 19 March 2024
When pursuing a business activity, trade or renting out a property, you’re no doubt doing so to make some money, but the reality for self-starters
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What to do if your tax return was rejected by SARS
Updated 22 November 2023
If you've received a letter from SARS saying that your tax return has been rejected and you're not sure why, there could be a few reasons why this has happened. Here are some of the most common reasons, along with the corrective steps you need to take:
Reason 1: You were auto-assessed by SARS for the 2020, 2021 or 2022 tax year, but you submitted your tax return after the 40-day period SARS gave you, and you failed to request an extension in time. Please click
here to read more about auto-assessments. ...
Renting out your home and the effect on capital gains tax
Updated 8 June 2022
Our Helpdesk receives lots of questions from home sellers who rented out their primary residence for some of the
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5 Reasons you Still Need to File your Tax Return
Posted 30 May 2022
SARS recently announced the 2022 tax season dates:
01 July 2022 to 24 October 2022: individual (non-provisional) taxpayers
01 July 2022 to 23 January 2023: 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 2022.
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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Why do I owe SARS more money?
Posted 19 April 2022
Once you’ve completed filing your tax return, it’s possible to find that instead of getting money back
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Calculate interest on late provisional tax payment
Posted 28 December 2021
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:
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Do I earn enough to have to pay tax?
Posted 23 April 2020
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?
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10 Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund
Posted 8 April 2020
It’s tax season, and one of the most compelling reasons to file a tax return (besides the fact that it’s the law, of course) is the chance that you’ve
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Why don't I get a tax deduction for Out of Pocket Medical Expenses?
Posted 29 February 2020
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.
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Be smart and save tax when receiving income from an Airbnb
Posted 14 May 2018
Taxpayers who earn Airbnb income often don’t know what they need to do when it comes to declaring this income to SARS. Sometimes taxpayers think that they don’t have to declare this extra income, or can hide it from SARS by not entering it on their tax return form - a big mistake!
The truth is that extra income earned from Airbnb income is taxable, and SARS needs to know about it. In some cases - if the amount earned (profit) outside of a salary is larger than R30,000 a y...
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Rental Income FAQs
Posted 6 March 2017
Should interest on your home loan be deducted from your rental income?
Yes, it does, the interest would go under the finance costs, the actual bond repayments are not deductible for tax purposes.
Should my rent which is paid by my boss, reflect on my payslip?
Yes, this would be fully taxable at the same rate as your salary. It can reflect as 'other allowances - taxable" and can reflect under source code 3713 on your IRP5.
Is there a VAT payment on maintenance expenses for my car? ...
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5 Great Reasons to File Your Tax Return Early This Year
Posted 24 May 2016
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...
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The Smart Way to Save Tax when Renting out a Property
Posted 8 April 2016
Taxpayers who earn rental income from a second property of theirs often don’t know what they need to do when it comes to declaring this income to SARS. Sometimes taxpayers think that they don’t have to declare this extra income, or can hide it from SARS by not entering it on their tax return form - a big mistake!
The truth is that extra income earned from rental is taxable, and SARS needs to know about it. In some cases - if the amount earned (profit) outside of a sala...
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2016 Budget Speech: Welcome Back, Minister! You Couldn't Have Returned Just for the Free Lunch?
Posted 25 February 2016
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, ...
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What You Need to Know About Changes to the Tax Clearance System
Posted 23 February 2016
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...
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Retirement Funds Tax Laws Effective 1 March 2016 - How SARS' New Changes Affect You!
Posted 10 February 2016
If you’re diligently putting money away for your retirement in the form of a pension, provident fund or retirement annuity, you may be curious – perhaps even a touch concerned – about the changes SARS has made to the retirement fund tax laws, which come into effect on 1 March 2016.
If you missed the news, here's a quick overview.
SARS have changed how contributions to retirement funds are treated from a tax perspective, as well as how your funds are managed when you retire...
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Thank you Minister - we expected worse! 2015 Budget
Posted 25 February 2015
New Finance Minister Nene delivers his first budget with some “better than expected” tax increases. The fight against corruption was highlighted with the minster announcing a series of reforms and procedures to be introduced both to curb corruption and make doing business with the state easier. The minister announced that R25bn would be saved in expenditure over the next two years, but R16.8bn is to be raised this year via tax increases and a remarkably large rise in the fuel and road accident fund levies. To be honest, we expected greater tax increases from the minister, thankfully he spared us some of the pain! ...
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2014 Budget - A move to economic transformation
Posted 26 February 2014
In delivering what could possibly be his last annual budget and perhaps in an election year a very pragmatic one, Minister Pravin Gordhan painted a rather positive picture for the future of South Africa, whilst at the same time warning of the impact the global economy is having on the South African economy. He too, had a “good story” to tell of how well managed the economy is and how we have survived the economic downturn of the last half decade. The minister, like his predecessors b...
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Garnishee orders explained: How SARS can deduct penalties directly from your pay cheque and how to stop it
Posted 14 November 2013
The last days of the month are often the most exciting for employees as they look forward to spending their monthly pay cheques. Unfortunately for many taxpayers anticipation quickly turns to grief when the money they receive in their bank account is suddenly less than they had expected. Stress and anxiety then result in light of impending debit orders and monthly expenses that need to be paid.
Apart from the ordinary deductions that your employer takes off your salary each month - expenses for your benefit such as medical aid or a retirement / pension plan - there is another deduction that can take place unexpectedly: a garnishee order...
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The effect of the 2013/14 annual budget speech on the average South African taxpayer
Posted 28 February 2013
It was with great enthusiasm that we at TaxTim awaited delivery by the Minister of Finance of his annual budget speech this afternoon, especially after some of the shocks experienced by taxpayers and tax professionals last year. Surprisingly he delivered a very mild budget in terms of individuals with the Minister stating, “No tax rises.” The main focus areas relating to tax in this budget speech were on compliance, tax evasion and big companies seeking to shift their income around the world in order to avoid higher taxes...Read more →
How to manage your tax affairs running a business in your own name as a sole-proprietor
Posted 1 October 2012
South Africa is brimming with entrepreneurs and small business owners who keep the economy running. These people may or may not be earning a regular salary too, but all of them operate a non-registered business in their own name - a so-called sole-proprietorship. In this blog post we will discuss how such a business pays tax, how it is taxed, and how to separate personal and business affairs to make tax deductions correctly.
To register or not to register as a company?
...
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SARS is asking for more documents. Are they auditing me?
Posted 13 August 2012
For most people upon submission of their year-end income tax return, either nothing much will happen or a refund will be due, this being paid back within a matter of days. However in a small number of cases SARS requires extra documentation or proof to be submitted so that they can verify that everything you submitted in your tax return is correct. Don’t be afraid, although many people consider this an “audit” it isn’t nearly as frightening as that and doesn't mean you have done anything wrong. A true audit would be SARS requesting years of past documentation and opening up for examination all your tax affairs from previous years. ...
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I'm retired at 65 years and older - what income tax benefits do I qualify for in retirement?
Posted 23 July 2012
It would seem that SARS often prioritises younger taxpayers who are still working and receive a constant flow of income. However for many older South African taxpayers over the age of 65 who have retired or are still working, there are actually quite a few benefits to enjoy.
Firstly at 65 the tax threshold above which you would even begin paying tax is higher, at R99 056 per year (in 2012 it was R93 150). What's more, those taxpayers who are older than 75 years of age get an even bigger break at R110 889 per year (in 2012 it was R104 261)...
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How do I calculate my earnings after tax? Try our income tax calculator
Posted 6 June 2012
Most employees negotiate their salary based on the gross amount (or cost to company) - the whole amount paid by their employer. Since income tax is deducted from this gross amount, in most cases the taxpayer doesn't know how much money actually goes into their bank account each month, after tax.
SARS levies employee's tax monthly and employers must pay that over to SARS every month. This tax is called PAYE (Pay As You Earn). PAYE is calculated based on your taxable income. This is different to your gross income and is calculated as follows:
...
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