Vacation Home - What do I submit/declare in my Personal Tax Return?

  Written by Alicia   Posted 17 July 2024

I bought a house December 2023, which are rented out as a vacation home. This is my first house that I bought and do not know what I need to submit/declare in my Personal Tax Return for 2024. Can you please assist?

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

  Written by Marc   Updated 16 July 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.

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Is rental expense a tax deductible expense for Airbnb subletting?

  Written by Alicia   Posted 23 May 2024

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? ...

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How would SARS tax you if you win the Powerball?

  Written by Alicia   Posted 21 May 2024

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 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?

Should I trade as a SBC or Sole Proprietor?

  Written by Alicia   Updated 14 May 2024

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   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?

Claiming 12B tax deduction on IRP6?

  Written by Nicci   Posted 8 May 2024

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.

Why are my SARS attachments blank when I open them?

  Written by Nicci   Posted 7 May 2024

I just filed my provisional tax return (IRP6) using your platform. I received an email from TaxTim with the following instructions: "To view the contents of your Provisional Tax Statement of Account, please login to TaxTim, click on My Tax Docs and view the PDF there."

However, when I follow these instructions and attempt to open the document from SARS on my My Tax Docs page, it is blank. It does not seem to be pulling through the information. I checked on my SARS eFiling profile and I am able to open and view the Provisional Tax Statement of account there. ...

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Navigating around your Easy Equities tax certificate (IT3c)

  Written by Nicci   Updated 29 April 2024

1. This is the gross base cost of all shares you bought through the institution. You must NOT use this value on your return.

2. This is the base cost i.e the costs attached to the sale of your shares. This amount needs to be entered as the base cost in the  capital gains section of your tax return.

3. This is the...

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Do I file a provisional return for a sole proprietor that I started in January?

  Written by Nicci   Posted 26 April 2024

I started as sole proprietor in January this year. Do I still need to file a Period 2 provisional tax return (IRP6) this February? The questions on Tax Tim are asking for the whole financial year (i.e from March last year until the end of February this year). Do I then just calculate the income and expenses for January and February of this year?

Trading Loss on IRP6

  Written by Nicci   Posted 26 April 2024

I registered a company in May 2023 and did not make a profit during the tax year up to 29 February 2024. I understand that I still need to file a provisional tax return with SARS, but it does not look like I can enter a negative figure in "Taxable Income" in the IRP6 form. Do I need to enter zero - as in there was no taxable income? In that case, does that mean that I cannot carry the loss forward to next year?

Is my Company a SBC or does it qualify for turnover tax?

  Written by Nicci   Posted 24 April 2024

Hi there, I would like to find out if I should be applying for turnover tax or small business tax, and if I would be considered a micro business. I have just completed my provisional tax return for 2024-01 on Tax Tim and the tax rate is 27%, which seems so high! This is my first tax return for my business, please help.

What percentage tax does a person as a consultant pay?

  Written by Nicci   Posted 23 April 2024

I have been offered a job as a part time consultant. The company says that I must pay tax directly to SARS. How much tax will I have to pay directly to SARS?

I work two jobs - can I claim internet for both?

  Written by Nicci   Posted 23 April 2024

I work two jobs as an independent contractor in addition to my full-time salary. I use the same fibre internet connection for both these jobs which is debited on a monthly basis. Am I correct in saying I can only claim for it once on my tax return, and not twice for both jobs?

Then I also want to know if my TaxTim payment is deductible? 

What is provisional tax? How and when do I pay it?

  Written by Evan   Updated 11 April 2024

What is provisional tax?

Provisional tax is paid by people who earn income other than a salary / traditional remuneration from an employer.
If you earn non-salary income, for example rental income from a property, interest income from investments or other income from a trade or small business you run, you will be a provisional taxpayer, even if you ALSO earn a salary. Some exceptions and thresholds do apply though, so

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Navigating around your Allan Gray tax certificate (IT3c)

  Written by Nicci   Updated 20 March 2024

1. This is the proceeds i.e  the value that your shares were sold for. This amount needs to be entered as proceeds in the  capital gains section of your tax return.

2. This is the base cost i.e the costs attached to the sale of your shares. This amount needs to be entered as the base cost in the  capital gains section of your tax return....

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Do You Need to Ring-Fence Your Business or Rental Losses for Tax?

  Written by Vee   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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My seafarer exemption was rejected. What do I do now?

  Written by Nicci   Posted 30 January 2024

I received a SARS assessment after submitting my tax return via TaxTim. During the submission, there was no payment to SARS expected. However I then received an assessment for a large (R2m) balance owed. At the time I assumed it was a mistake or a premature assessment before my documents had been processed, but I've now received an email from SARS stating Outstanding Debt. Please could you assist me with understanding the significant discrepancy between the TaxTim calculation and the SARS assess...

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Top Tips for Sole Props

  Written by Nicci   Updated 22 January 2024

1. Keep an accurate record of revenue and expenses

You can draw up these records by way of a simple spreadsheet based on your invoices and then confirm these amounts by cross-checking them against your bank statement.

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Provisional Taxpayers:  Unpacking Your Tax Season Deadline

  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...

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When can I submit my tax return?

  Written by Nicci   Updated 9 May 2022

When can I submit my tax return for the 2022 tax season? Are the filing dates still the same as those of the previous year?

Register as a Sole Proprietor

  Written by Nicci   Updated 9 May 2022

Can TaxTim help me register as a Sole Proprietor and assist me with my accounting?

Overseas income

  Written by Nicci   Updated 9 May 2022

I have been working overseas and will be doing so for the whole of 2022 tax year making me provisional:
a. What average exchange rate will I use?
b. When is the first Provisional tax return due and, if necessary payable?
c. Can I deduct my overseas pension and medical from my gross income or is this only if I have a pension/RA and medical in South Africa?
d. I know that R1. 25 mil is exempt so how would I work out the tax on that as I know that I cannot claim all overseas tax...

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Can a sole proprietor claim for vehicle maintenance?

  Written by Nicci   Updated 26 April 2022

Can a sole proprietor (extra income, working from home) claim for vehicle maintenance (I do most maintenance myself, but have invoices for the parts) and insurance if he did not keep an accurate logbook?
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