Tax

We are receiving more and more complaints, often from highly-distressed taxpayers, who are forwarding emails, SMSs and WhatsApp messages that appear to be from SARS, but are in fact scams. Increasingly convincing, these messages are causing unnecessary distress and raising the risk of being scammed. Here’s a timely Cybersecurity Awareness Month refresher on how to spot a SARS scam and what to do if you receive one. Our top suggestion? Simply check in with our team for peace of mind.

SARS has strict rules regarding entertainment expenses for both income tax deductions and VAT, and a claim for entertainment expenses will likely be flagged for investigation by SARS. This is why it’s crucial to have a solid understanding of what can and can’t be claimed. We encourage you to rely on our expert oversight before claiming. This is the best way of ensuring your tax position is verified and you have adequate proof that the claims are for legitimate business expenses.

Wish you could pay less tax? The 2026 tax filing season is in full swing, with individual non-provisional taxpayers facing a 23 October 2026 deadline, while trusts and individual provisional taxpayers have until 22 January 2027 to ensure they have made use of every applicable tax rebate and deduction. Our tax team checks and applies every tax rebate and deduction possible for every individual and business, making sure that while you remain 100% compliant, you don’t pay a cent more tax than you should!

Anyone leaving or entering South Africa faces a new SARS requirement: an online declaration of goods, cash and other items before crossing the border. This article cuts through all the conspiracies and explains what the change means, why it matters, and how it could affect travellers, businesspeople and anyone carrying high-value items.

For individual provisional taxpayers and for companies with a February year-end, the end of August brings yet another tax deadline: the first provisional tax payment for the 2027 tax year, covering the period 1 March 2026 – 28 February 2027. Find out here why income tax payments seem to roll round so very often, and what you need to do to survive this first income tax deadline for the current tax year.

SARS’s “The Power of Done” campaign promotes seamless, digital tax compliance for Tax Filing Season 2026. The season officially opens on 13 July, although auto-assessed taxpayers will receive notifications from 1 to 12 July. Find out here what the deadlines are, which apply to you, how to “experience The Power of Done”, and what to do if you are auto-assessed (and if not). Hot Tip: For a hassle-free Tax Filing Season 2026, simply rely on our expertise.

The Annual Employer Reconciliation Declaration (EMP501) remains a focus area for SARS. Employers have until the end of May to submit their declarations for the period 1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026.
We invite you to rely on our expertise to ensure compliance with this legal requirement, as submitting incorrect or incomplete declarations (or missing the deadline) will cause additional work, penalties, delays and hassles for you and your employees.