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 The days of random spot-checks have been replaced by automated systems that analyse taxpayer information in real-time.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 […]
The ‘Big Three’ Tax Worries (Part 2): Shares
In the second part of this series, we focus on shares. If claiming against our car allowances is the number one thing that keeps us awake at night as taxpayers, then the fear of SARS lying in wait to lay their grubby paws on the slightest gain that we make on our share investments must […]
Set-Off of Assessed Losses, and Ring-Fencing
Unless you’re at the 45% marginal tax rate, most losses can be set off against other income. If a person is not at the maximum marginal tax rate, can they opt to have their taxable loss from their sideline business, e.g. bookkeeping, offset against the taxable income from normal employment (on which they pay PAYE) […]
The ‘Big Three’ Tax Worries (Part 3): Property
Rounding up our series on the three main worries for taxpayers, we discuss property. So, you now know how to claim your car expenses on your tax return, and are reasonably confident that you can now manage your share investments without incurring the wrath of SARS. But the one thing that really keeps you awake […]