Written by Alicia
Posted 12 December 2025
Written by Nicci
Posted 22 August 2025
Written by Marc
Updated 13 July 2025
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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Written by Nicci
Updated 27 June 2025
You may be employed by someone, but for one reason or another- you don't receive an IRP5 and no amount of begging or pleading
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Written by Alicia
Posted 3 June 2025
The 2025 filing season opens this year on Monday, 21 July.
This 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
20 October 2025: Salary-only employees, who earn no other signficant income (i.e. non-provisional taxpayers) and ALL auto-assessed ...
Written by Evan
Updated 23 May 2025
Your IRP5 has two fields on it that relate to Pay Periods:
A Pay Period describes an amount of time within a year that you were employed by your employer.
This can be an amount in:
Written by Nicci
Posted 14 May 2025
South Africa introduced the Two-Pot Retirement System to help people access part of their retirement savings before retirement age, while keeping the rest for retirement. It's a helpful system – but it comes with tax rules that can surprise some people.
If you withdrew from your Two-Pot in the tax year, you need to include the details of this withdrawal in your annual tax return. The fund should have issued you an IRP5/IT3a tax certificate which reflects the withdrawal amount (source code 3926), related tax as well as the tax directive number issued by SARS...
Written by Nicci
Posted 5 May 2025
Written by Nicci
Posted 24 April 2025
There is a section on the ITR12 tax return that asks you to indicate any periods during the tax year when you were not working (i.e., were unemployed).
This section applies only to South African tax residents who are salaried employees and receive an IRP5.
...
Written by Alicia
Posted 24 April 2025
Written by Nicci
Updated 15 April 2025
Consult the image below to find all the tax-related information on your IRP5 that you will need when completing your annual tax return.
Written by Nicci
Posted 14 April 2025
Written by Vee
Updated 10 April 2025
Medical expenses are nothing to sneeze at. Private medical treatment is increasingly pushing the limits of medical aid scheme
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Written by Patrick
Updated 12 March 2025
Written by Nicci
Posted 20 February 2025
I worked for an international company (UK based) during the 2024 tax year. I was a contracted employee, meaning I had to submit salary invoices. Therefore, I was advised to register as a provisional tax payer and submitted an IRP6. I worked 100% from home during this time and would like to claim a home office deduction, which was already taken into account during my IRP6 submission (audited by SARS and accepted). However, when submitting my home office deduction on Tax Tim for my IRT12, it says ...
Written by Nicci
Updated 11 November 2024
We often receive questions from taxpayers as to how to structure their salary most efficiently for tax purposes. Unfortunately, the reality is that the days of employees gaining a tax advantage Has SARS asked you for documents that you can't produce, such as an old IRP5 from a prior year that your employer doesn't have, or that simply doesn't exist? 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. 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. Received your IRP5 or IT3(a) but unsure what it all means? Here’s a quick introduction to help you understand this tax document. Your IRP5 starts with your personal details. While these details won’t override what SARS has on record, it’s important to check them and update any outdated information with your employer. Your ...
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Swear an affidavit for SARS
Written by Evan
Updated 1 August 2024
To prove to SARS that you cannot produce the document they want, you will need to produce what is called a sworn affidavit.
This is basically a letter that you must write, that you then take to your nearest police station to get signed and stamped.
Items to include:
1. Your name, ID number and contact details...
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5 Reasons you Still Need to File your Tax Return
Written by Evan
Updated 20 July 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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The 3 R's: Returns, Rebates and Refunds Explained
Written by Marc
Updated 16 July 2024
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Navigating your way around your IRP5
Written by Nicci
Updated 27 May 2024
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How do I obtain my ITA34 documents?
Written by Alicia
Posted 21 May 2024
I have lived abroad for six years and have not paid my taxes in South Africa.
I have now returned and am living in South Africa. I need to obtain my ITA34 documents for the past three years for the bank.
How do I do my taxes as a freelancer?
Written by Alicia
Posted 16 May 2024
I'm a freelancer - how do I do my taxes? Do I register as provisional taxpayer or can I still pay PAYE monthly?
I'm a remote worker who needs help with their tax
Written by Alicia
Updated 14 May 2024
I'm an independent contractor working remotely for an international company. The company is not obligated to pay my tax, therefore I need to do it myself. However, I'm not sure what the process entails. Please can you offer help?
Can construction workers claim a tax refund?
Written by Nicci
Posted 30 April 2024
I work as a bricklayer on a building site. Do I need to submit a tax return and are construction employees allowed to claim a tax refund?
How do I calculate tax on my overtime?
Written by Nicci
Posted 26 April 2024
I worked some overtime in the past few months. I am wondering how to calculate the tax on it. What tax bracket does overtime fall under?
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