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

TaxTim's Blog

Can I claim home office expenses I incurred in 2020 a few years later?

  Written by Alicia  

Good day,

I am writing to ask if it would be possible to make corrections to 2020 tax return assessment. I would like to include the home office expenses claim as I did work from home during the covid 19 lock down period.

Looking forward to your response.

Depreciation on furniture bought for rental property

  Written by Alicia  

I bought furniture for R 172 000 back in 2018 for my rental property. This was bought through the developer as part of a rental pool offering. Rental pool contract stating furniture costs, e-mail clarifications and proof of payment for this is in my possession but not the actual receipts or individual pricing for the items. According to the TaxTim depreciation calculator, I can claim around R 28 600 in 2022 tax year. My question is, can I claim this with the documentation in my possession and ca...



Read more →

Update Banking Details for a refund from SARS

  Written by Alicia  

Good morning,

I am no longer banking with the bank I used during 2023 and am trying to update my details on SARS eFiling. So far, I have successfully added my new bank and this has been verified by SARS. However, I am unable to remove my old banking details, and select my new bank as the primary transaction account for payments from SARS. Do I need to wait to file my 2024 tax return to effect this change?

Tax Season 2024: opening date and deadlines

  Written by Nicci  

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...



Read more →

How to add a registered representative to your company with SARS

  Written by Alicia  

In previous years, it was relatively easy to add a company to your eFiling profile, whether it was an Organization or Tax Practitioner profile.

However, since early last year, SARS has changed the procedure. Now, to add a company to your profile, you need to add  a registered representative. In order to do this, you must send a request to SARS along with the following documents each time you want to represent a new company:

  • An image of yourself taken on the day the...


Read more →

Bank Branch Codes

  Written by Nicci  

(endpreview)

Bank Name Universal Branch Code
ABN AMRO BANK 740000
ABSA 632005
ALBARAKA BANK 800000
BANK OF ATHENS 410105
CAPITEC BANK 470010
CITIBANK 350005
FNB 25065...


Read more →

Navigating your way around your IRP5

  Written by Nicci  

Received your IRP5 or IT3(a) but unsure what it all means? Here’s a quick introduction to help you understand this tax document.

Personal details:

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.

Income:

Your ...



Read more →

How to access your eFiling login details

  Written by Alicia  

In order to use TaxTim and import your tax certificates directly from your SARS eFiling profile, you will need to be able to login to your SARS profile.

If you do not remember your eFiling username and password, here is a short guide to request it:

1. Go to  SARS eFiling and click "Forgot Username". 



Read more →

Is rental expense a tax deductible expense for Airbnb subletting?

  Written by Alicia  

I know that the interest on a bond is tax deductible in the case of an Airbnb.
I was wondering if the rental of a property is also tax deductible if you use the arbitrage Airbnb method, i.e. subletting a fixed-term rental as an Airbnb?

Another question, what if the property is not my own, I am renting it from someone and subletting it. Is the rental expense that I pay, a deductible expense of operating the Airbnb business?

I know you have tiers of packages. How much do you charge to do the income tax of individuals that include the rental income? ...



Read more →

How to see which Tax Directives SARS has on record for you

  Written by Alicia  

Issue:

When you submit your tax return, SARS rejects it with a message which states that a Tax Directive was issued by SARS, but no Lump Sum amount is declared in the return.

This means that SARS has a Tax Directive on record for you and they are expecting to see the related lumpsum IRP5 with the matching Tax Directive in your tax return. If you have not included this IRP5, SARS won’t be able to finalise your return and issue you an assessment for the ta...



Read more →

How would SARS tax you if you win the Powerball?

  Written by Alicia  

If I win the Powerball and decide to put all my winnings into a savings account and live off the interest, will I have to pay tax on my interest earned only, or am I supposed to pay tax on the total amount of winnings in the account?

How do I obtain my ITA34 documents?

  Written by Alicia  

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  

I'm a freelancer  - how do I do my taxes? Do I register as provisional taxpayer or can I still pay PAYE monthly?

One time pin (OTP) is sent to the wrong cell number and email

  Written by Alicia  

 
I am trying to authorise TaxTim to share access to my SARS profile. When I click on the Manage Tax Types request, the one time pin is sent to the incorrect cell number. What can I do?

Turnover Tax FAQs

  Written by Neo  

What is the definition of tax threshold? Tax thresholds? SARS Threshold.
A Tax threshold is the lower limit of earnings at which tax needs to start being paid. So any income less than the current threshold, would not be taxed.

What is Turnover Tax? 
Turnover Tax is a streamlined taxation system designed to simplify tax compliance for small businesses. It replaces several types of taxes—Income Tax, VAT, Provisional Tax, Capital Gains Tax, and Dividends Tax—with a single tax based on turnover...



Read more →

What is Turnover Tax?

  Written by Vee  

Turnover Tax is a simplified tax system only available to sole proprietors, partnerships, companies, or close corporations with a “qualifying turnover” of less than R1m per year. These types of entities are called micro businesses.

As the name implies, Turnover Tax is a type of tax, which is calculated against the turnover of a business, as opposed to a percentage of profit (i.e. income less business expenses) as per usual business tax. This difference reduces the administ...



Read more →

Renewable Energy Incentives for Businesses

  Written by Alicia  

The enhanced tax incentive recently introduced by the government, known as Section 12BA, aims to promote private investment in electricity generation from renewable energy sources to help alleviate the energy crisis in the country. This incentive is a temporary enhancement of the existing renewable energy tax incentive found in section 12B of the Income Tax Act.

Below are the key points:

Availability and Duration

The incentive is available from 1 ...



Read more →

How to Get a Tax Number in South Africa

  Written by Evan  


First, check to see if you have a tax number already

You are looking for a 10 digit number from SARS that starts with a 0, 1, 2, 3 or 9. Try any of the methods below to find it.

Ask your employer
Your employer may have registered you in the past. If this is the case, you would have been issued with a 10-digit tax reference number from SARS and you would have an IT150 Notification of registration that states your tax reference number.

Check your payslip...



Read more →

Should I trade as a SBC or Sole Proprietor?

  Written by Alicia  

I've secured a contract of R3. 1m for two years which is going to be invoiced at R130k per month. Whats the best way to go about this? Should I set-up my business as an SBC or sole proprietor?

I'm a remote worker who needs help with their tax

  Written by Alicia  


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?

Is there tax on interest earned on money in savings accounts?

  Written by Alicia  

I think my tax return for 2023 was incorrect.
The amount in my ABSA back account pulled through and according to me, I am not supposed to pay tax on interest earned on money in my  savings bank account.

If I am correct, what are the next steps to correct this?

How to get 'shared' access to your SARS eFiling profile

  Written by Alicia  

 If you notice that you can't do anything on your SARS profile, there's no need to panic.  Sometimes SARS grants TaxTim 'full' access to an individual's eFiling profile, instead of 'shared' access as we requested. 

Follow these simple steps to fix the problem:

Step 1: 

Go to www.sarsefiling.co.za.



Read more →

How to get back control of your SARS eFiling profile

  Written by Marc  

If you want TaxTim to file your tax returns, or you want to take back control from your previous tax practitioner, you will need access to your profile on SARS eFiling.

If you think you might have registered for an eFiling profile (in the distant past), it is a good idea to call SARS and check to see if they can give you your eFiling login details. Call them on 0800 00 7277 (free call from a land line) or try the login recovery steps on their website. ...



Read more →

How to Register your Company for SARS eFiling

  Written by Evan  

To create your company profile you will not need to have a separate profile for it anymore. SARS has now created a shared platform.

To set up a new eFiling profile for a company you will need to ensure that you have all your valid documents ready to use during the process. 
You will need the following:

1. Name of the company
2. The address and contact number 
3. The SARS tax number 
4. The registration number 

STEP 1: Get started by logging in

Go to www.sarsefiling.co.za....



Read more →

Claiming 12B tax deduction on IRP6?

  Written by Nicci  

I made a contribution towards a solar investment fund. My question does not relate to a rebate for my home installation.

I have contributed to a large fund that raised capital for a 12B solar energy project. The administrator of that fund indicated that I can include this under "deductions" when I file. There doesn't seem to be a field to enter it on the IRP6.
Older posts →← Newer posts    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20

Submit your tax return right here!
Get started

 Do Your Tax Return Easily
 Avoid penalties
 Maximise your refund

Answer simple questions about your incomes and expenses. TaxTim does the rest. Just click click, submit.

Make tax easy

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.