Tax Planning Strategies for Small Business Owners
As a small business owner in South Africa, managing your tax responsibilities effectively is key to maintaining financial health. By adopting smart tax planning strategies, you can reduce your tax burden and keep your business running smoothly. Here are some practical strategies to consider: 1. Utilise Allowable Deductions One of the simplest ways to reduce […]
Mastering Record Keeping: How to Meet SARS’s Electronic Documentation Standards
Too often, taxpayers seem to forget that the most important aspect of dealing with SARS is to ensure that they can discharge their burden of proof. As a taxpayer, it is on you to provide SARS with the relevant material that, on a balance of probabilities, supports your position. Taxpayers are required to retain relevant […]
VAT on Short-Term Lettings and Commissions
Are you acting as agent or principal—and what would be the pragmatic approach?
There are very few people across the world who haven’t heard of Airbnb. Started in San Francisco in 2008, this multi-billion-dollar NASDAQ-listed
The Tax Treatment of Relocation Expenses
Transferring staff? There are tax implications for them … and for you! If your business has branches in different locations, one of the best ways of offering key staff opportunities for career growth is to allow them to relocate. Relocating an existing staff member who has come to know and understand your systems, procedures, and […]
To Claim or Not to Claim—VAT, That Is…
Some vehicles you cannot claim VAT on, some you can—and knowing the difference can save you a lot of money. When can you claim input VAT on a vehicle? Most businesses that are registered for VAT will be aware that you generally cannot claim input VAT on the purchase of a ‘motor car’ as defined […]
Compensation for Losses: Which ‘Hole’ is Filled?
Many taxpayers assume that compensation for losses is of a capital nature. It depends… There are no hard and fast rules for determining whether a particular gain is of a capital or a revenue nature. Each case needs to be decided on its own facts. The distinction is important because of the lower effective rate […]
Beware of Tax-Related Scams
Over the past five years, the SAFPS has seen a steady increase in the number of tax-related scams. Improved efficiency To improve efficiency when it comes to processing tax returns, and to encourage individuals and businesses to file their tax returns timeously, SARS launched its eFiling service in 2000. This allows taxpayers to file their […]
Ring-fencing trading losses
Top-rate taxpayers need to watch out for Section 20A Section 20 of the Income Tax Act 58 of 1962 deals with the set-off of losses from a trade against other income. In general, such set-off is allowed (see sub-paragraph (1)(b)), provided that the loss is incurred in the taxpayer’s own name (i.e. not in a […]
Deducting income tax and CGT for estate duty
Deducting income tax and CGT for estate duty Is subjecting taxpayers to estate duty on post-death asset growth appropriate? In 1789 Benjamin Franklin said that “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”. He was right about death—but anyone who has had to interpret our tax laws would know […]
Don’t suffer the tax consequences of waived debt
Don’t suffer the tax consequences of waived debt Many natural persons or trust shareholders in companies are confronted with the unintended tax consequences of owing an amount on a loan account to the company in which they hold those shares. These tax consequences specifically relate to the “deemed dividend” which arises on interest-free loans (related […]