SA Payroll and Tax Compliance for Non-Resident Employers
The 2026 Budget sorts out the PAYE anomaly, but is silent on SDL and UIF. A 2023 amendment to Paragraph 2(1)(b) of the Fourth Schedule to the Income Tax Act requires non-resident employers to withhold employees’ tax (PAYE) only where they conduct business in South Africa through a permanent establishment (PE). While this represented an […]
Auto-Assessments: Not Necessarily Final
Every year, millions of South Africans receive a SARS auto-assessment based on data that SARS already holds. However, while SARS has enhanced parts of its auto-assessment process and online tax assistant, it’s advisable to do a careful review before accepting. If you don’t respond, SARS treats that as you being in agreement with the assessment […]
The Financial Blind Spots That Put SMEs at Risk
Most small businesses do not fail because they lack ambition or attract the wrong market. They fail when the numbers no longer show what is really happening inside the business. When forecasts are unclear, cash flow tightens, projections lose value, compliance gaps grow, and important decisions are made without enough financial direction. For South African […]
It’s Never Too Early (or Too Late) to Start Investing
Ask most South Africans why they haven’t started investing yet, and you’ll probably hear the same answers: These are all understandable feelings, but they’re not facts. The most important thing about investing isn’t how much you start with, how old you are, or how perfectly you time it. It’s simply that you start. If you […]
How New VAT Thresholds Are Reshaping SME Year-End Planning
For the first time in 30 years, South Africa’s compulsory VAT registration threshold has increased to R2.3 million, forcing thousands of SMEs into difficult financial and tax decisions at year-end. While the R1.3 million increase offers immediate compliance relief, treating the reform as a simple cost-saving exercise could jeopardise the long-term cash flow and corporate […]
SARS AI Audits: Why Your Accounting Partner is Your Best Defence
South African taxation has undergone a significant digital shift. As we move through 2026, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has firmly adopted a data-driven, risk-based approach to compliance, often described as “compliance by design.” The days of random spot-checks have been replaced by automated systems that analyse taxpayer information in real-time. SARS now relies […]
The Great Wealth Transfer
A global shift in generational wealth is quietly reshaping the future of financial advice. Over the next two decades, an estimated U$100 trillion in assets will pass from the hands of the baby boomer generation to their children and grandchildren. While this global phenomenon is already well underway in developed markets, South Africa is beginning […]
What Tax-Neutral Reorganisations (Sections 42–47) Really Mean
Restructuring a business, whether merging entities, shifting assets, separating divisions, onboarding investors, or strengthening risk protection, usually comes with significant tax consequences. Transfers of assets such as shares, property, intellectual property, or business operations would, under normal circumstances, trigger capital gains tax, income tax, VAT, and other tax charges. To support legitimate corporate reorganisations, South […]
Your Will is Set, But Who is in Charge? A Guide to the Executor of Your Estate
Completing your last will and testament is one of the most responsible steps you can take to protect your loved ones. It provides clarity, minimises conflict, and ensures your assets are distributed according to your wishes. However, a will is only as effective as the person tasked with carrying it out. This crucial role is […]
The Consequences of Making Loans to Trusts
Family trusts have long been a central feature of South African estate and wealth planning, with high-net-worth individuals using trust structures to protect assets and to save certain assets, particularly from estate duty. However, many taxpayers who hold substantial assets baulk at the idea of losing complete control over any assets that they may transfer […]