Auto-Assessed by SARS?
Sometime between 1 and 12 July 2026, around 6 million South Africans will get a message from SARS saying their tax has already been done for them ๐ฑ No forms. No filing. Just a tidy little assessment and, often, a refund on the way. Sounds wonderful, right? And often it is. But here’s the catch […]
Bookkeeper vs Accountant: What’s the Difference
It’s one of the most common questions small business owners ask โ usually right after their business starts making enough money to need someone: “Do I need a bookkeeper or an accountant? Andโฆ aren’t they the same thing?” ๐ค Short answer: no, they’re not the same but they work as a team. Think of it […]
Do I Need Annual Financial Statements? ๐
If you own a company in South Africa, there’s a question that surfaces every year around financial year-end: “Do I actually need annual financial statements โ and do they have to be audited?” ๐ค It’s a question with real money attached, because an audit can cost many times more than a basic compilation. Get the […]
When Must I Register for VAT in South Africa?
Few things confuse South African business owners more than VAT registration โ Some rush to register far too early. Others ignore it until SARS sends a letter that ruins their week. And almost everyone has heard a different “rule” at a braai ๐ So let’s settle it properly: when do you have to register for […]
Salary vs Dividends? ๐ผ
You started a company, it’s finally making money, and now you face the question every business owner eventually Googles at 11pm: “How do I actually pay myself โ salary or dividends?” ๐ค It’s one of the most important tax questions you’ll ever ask, because the wrong answer can cost you thousands in unnecessary tax every […]
Tax Practitioner Pretoria: How to Choose the Right One ๐๏ธ
Let’s be honest: nobody wakes up excited to find a tax practitioner ๐ It usually happens after a trigger. A SARS letter you don’t understand. A refund that vanished into “verification.” A side hustle that suddenly needs declaring. Or that creeping feeling that you’ve been overpaying tax for years. If you’re searching for a tax […]
What Happens If You Ignore SARS?
A Timeline of Bad Decisions โณ There’s a special folder in many South Africans’ lives. For some people it’s a drawer. For others it’s an email label. More often than we’d like to admit, it’s simply denial. ๐ It’s where the SARS letters go to be ignored. And we get it โ SARS correspondence is […]
SARS Payment Arrangement = Plan B ๐ณ
So the assessment landed, and the number at the bottom made your stomach drop ๐ฌ Perhaps business has been slow. A provisional tax payment may have caught you off guard. Sometimes life simply happens. Here’s what most taxpayers don’t realise: owing SARS money you can’t pay right now is a problem. Ignoring it is a […]
SARS Verification: Why Your Refund Is Stuck ๐
You filed your return. You did the maths. A juicy refund is on its wayโฆ ๐ฐ And then eFiling delivers the plot twist: “Your return has been selected for verification.” Cue the panic. Is this an audit? Did I do something wrong? Will I ever see my refund? ๐ฑ Deep breaths. A SARS verification is […]
How SARS Selects Taxpayers for Audit โ It’s Not Random ๐ฏ
“Why me?” ๐ฉ It’s the first thing every taxpayer asks when that dreaded SARS audit notification lands. And here’s the uncomfortable answer: it’s probably not bad luck. Today’s SARS runs on data, algorithms and artificial intelligence. A SARS audit in 2026 is less “name out of a hat” and more “the computer flagged you three […]
