Written by Nicci
Posted 18 August 2021
These tips are part of TaxTim's personalised recommendation tool called the Tax Health Score. Once you file your tax return with TaxTim,
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Written by Nicci
Posted 12 July 2021
This is good news! A Reduced Assessment means you owe LESS tax. i.e SARS has assessed your taxable income to be a lower or reduced amount compared to their Original Assessment.
The Reduced Assessment can be confusing to taxpayers who think they need to pay the amount on it. However, it’s important to realise the amount on this assessment must not be viewed in isolation. It must be added to the Original Assessment and the OVERALL balance is the amount t...
Written by Nicci
Posted 22 June 2021
The Momentum HealthSaver is a savings account which works with your medical aid and allows you to save for additional medical costs which are not covered by your medical aid.
When it comes to filing your annual tax return, there seems to be some confusion around how your monthly payments to the HealthSaver, as well as medical costs paid from the HealthSaver, are treated for tax purposes.
Momentum Tax Certificates
It is important to point ou...
Written by Patrick
Posted 18 June 2021
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...
Written by Nicci
Posted 14 June 2021
If SARS have issued you an Auto Assessment, you will need to follow these steps to reject it so that we can help you to complete and submit your return to SARS.
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Written by Evan
Posted 30 May 2021
When we finally decide to complete our tax return, the last thing we want is a delay in finding that last piece of missing information. In case your bank or investment fund hasn't sent you your IT3b tax certificate by mail or email earlier in the year, here are the fastest ways to download your tax certificate online in record time.
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Written by Patrick
Posted 12 April 2021
Good news if you’ve been working from home for the past year. You can claim a tax deduction if you worked from home for more than half of your total working hours or for more than six months during the tax year that started in March 2020.
“Claim for your home office if you started working from home at the end of March, and worked there for at least 6 months till the end of February 2021, to deduct this benefit in the tax ...
Written by Patrick
Posted 9 April 2021
In these ever-changing times, many South Africans working abroad have found themselves working back in their home country. Although this may not have been their first choice, SARS is tightening its hold on foreign income earners, and the tax authority will be diving deeper into expat taxes, but what does that mean and how will that affect your taxes this year? Here’s what you need to know.
Usually, in the case where Saffas were working and earning an income in a foreign country,...
Written by Patrick
Posted 6 April 2021
In the national budget speech this year, finance minister, Tito Mboweni announced the initiation of a new unit within SARS dedicated to improving tax compliance from wealthy South Africans. In accordance with Mboweni´s plans for tax revenue collection, SARS has recently updated its vacancies page
Written by Patrick
Posted 1 April 2021
Do you receive a travel allowance from your employer because your job used to entail significant travel? As the Covid-19 pandemic hit and lockdown restrictions have curbed travel, you might be wondering how this will affect your taxes. Here’s what you need to know to avoid owing the taxman, even more, this tax season.
How does SARS tax my travel allowance?
Under normal circumstances, your employer would only offer you a travel allowance if your job requi...
Written by Patrick
Posted 15 March 2021
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” - ANON
More than 70% of South Africans don’t have a valid will. The reason for this, we believe, is because people are not educated on why wills are so important and how you can use them to protect your family and save tax.
By drafting a will, you are planting a tree in which shade your family can sit. Let me explain…
Written by Nicci
Posted 10 March 2021
We are seeing many cases where taxpayers submit their documents to SARS, wait 21 working days (sometimes longer) only to receive a second letter on eFiling which requests the exact same documents again.
The letter we are referring to here is the generic SARS document request which looks like the below:
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) thanks you for submitting the revised income tax return for the 2018 tax period.
The revised information still does not match the information in the possession of the SARS and/or the income tax return has been identified for verification in terms of the Tax Administration Act....
Written by Evan
Posted 9 March 2021
Working days (or business days) commonly refer to the days that most South Africans are at work, namely Monday to Friday.
Working days excludes government-recognised public holidays such as New Years Day, Human Rights Day, Good Friday, etc.
NOTE: SARS has its own definition of working days, which includes a holiday from 15 December to 15 January for all of their staff. If you are waiting for any assessments or dispute outcomes from them, please take into account the extra mont...
Written by Nicci
Posted 8 March 2021
Companies issue stock options (also called share options) to key employees in order to attract and retain talent.
A stock option is different from a share – a stock option is the right to acquire a share at a specific date in the future at a set price.
For example, when John joins Company A, he is granted 5000 stock options at a price of R55 per stock option. Assume that Company A’s share price rises to R75, he will make a profit of R20 per option when he is allowe...
Written by Patrick
Posted 25 February 2021
The Minister delivered some welcome news to South Africans yesterday when he announced that plans to hike taxes by R40 billion rand over the next four years, have been scrapped. This is largely attributed to a surge in tax revenue from mines, as well as a faster than expected recovery in VAT collections towards the end of last year.
He went on further to say, that there would be no significant tax increases at all in the year ahead. Contrary to speculation, the much-anticipated Covid-19 vaccination programme will not be funded by tax hikes...
Written by Nicci
Posted 22 February 2021
What is an IRP5?
An IRP5 is the employee's tax certificate that is issued to him/her at the end of each tax year detailing all employer/employee related incomes, deductions, and related taxes. The employee uses it specifically to complete his/her income tax return for a specific year.
Do I need an IRP5?
Yes, you do if you were employed during the tax year.
Can I submit a return without an IRP5? OR Am I able to submit returns without my IRP5? OR Are you able to submit without the IRP5?...
Written by Nicci
Posted 10 February 2021
Hi TaxTim, please can I ask about emigration and Retirement Annuities (RA)?
The new South African tax regulation, effective March 1, regarding emigrants' RAs being frozen for 3 years after financially emigrating:
1. I was told the start of the 3 years is not from date of financially emigrating, but rather the declaration date of non-tax resident status, is this correct?
2. If so, how does one declare oneself a non-tax resident?
3. I may have already declared mysel...
Written by John
Posted 9 February 2021
Answer Tim's questions above to see if you have what it takes to work with the TaxTim team!
Written by Nicci
Posted 9 February 2021
1. Estimate your taxable income for the whole tax year
Remember that both your first and second provisional return (IRP6) must reflect an estimate of your taxable income for the full 12 months of the tax year.
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Written by Nicci
Posted 4 February 2021
In a bid to meet its tax revenue quotas, SARS began introducing changes to the expatriate laws which took effect on 1 March 2020, which saw the launch of the Foreign Employment Unit.
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Written by Elani
Posted 28 January 2021
Net income is the actual profit after the deduction of expenses and allowable deductions.
Please refer to the "Expenses & Deductions" section of our Small Business Guide for more information regarding the expenses you may deduct.
Written by Evan
Posted 28 January 2021
In general terms, income is the money or a similar benefit you earned during the tax year.
In tax terms, income is the total gross income you earned during the tax year less "exempt income".
Written by Patrick
Posted 24 January 2021
As early as July 2017, Adobe announced that Flash Player would be discontinued by 31 December 2020 and that Flash Player would block its Flash content by 12 January 2021
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Written by Patrick
Posted 24 January 2021
As many countries around the world are already in the process of distributing the Covid-19 vaccine, the National Treasury of South Africa is proposing the possibility
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Written by Nicci
Posted 20 January 2021
As part of my package I receive the benefit of a fuel card and car allowance (but I do not do any business travel). However, on my tax return for 2020 I had to pay almost R9k because of this benefit. I had thought that our Human Resource Department would have made adjustments to my PAYE so that I would be paying 100% of the applicable tax so that I do not have anything to pay when I do my tax return once a year. Our Human Resource person said that he was not able to set the PAYE so that I could in future pay 100% of the fuel and car allowance benefit, but was limited to set it at 80%. ...
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