Simplify your payroll with automation
Managing payroll in South Africa can be challenging, with strict tax regulations and employee data management. However, with the right tools, you can make payroll more efficient and less stressful. Why choose automation? Automated, cloud-based payroll systems offer several advantages: Efficiency and accuracy: Automation reduces manual calculations and data entry errors. It streamlines tasks like calculating […]
Is a logbook really necessary?
Or can SARS use code 3702 to audit potential business kilometres travelled? I have often wondered whether SARS officials thoroughly review the submitted logbooks when taxpayers claim for travel expenses incurred as a result of business travel, or are these requested just to tick a box? This uncertainty has recently been rresolved—SARS audits the logbooks […]
Claiming car expenses based on actual costs
Know what you can claim, and the documents you need to substantiate it. When an individual taxpayer wishes to submit a tax claim for business travel, the tax return form provides the option of basing their claim on ‘deemed costs’ or ‘actual costs’. Since eFiling has largely automated the process of claiming based on deemed […]
What to Do if You Owe SARS Money
Owing money to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) can be stressful, but don’t panic. By understanding your options and taking prompt action, you can resolve the issue and minimise the impact. This guide will equip you with the knowledge you need to navigate a tax debt situation. The importance of addressing tax debt Take […]
Pension Funds and Emigration
Investing in an offshore retirement fund is one way of growing your wealth in a stable economy over the longer term, or even gaining residency in a foreign country. However, for South Africans, this scenario presents as many challenges as it does opportunities, and should only be considered after consulting with a financial advisor and […]
Travel Claims, but No Allowance?
For commission-earners and the self-employed, the rules are slightly different—but travel costs can be claimed. The mistake that I make when writing articles about travel allowances is that I tend to forget that not all of us are ‘wage slaves’. Indeed, there are many taxpayers for whom the saying, “If a man will not work, […]
Understanding the Foreign Services Income Exemption: The Requirement for Service Rendering
Many articles have been written about the application of the foreign income exemption provided for under Section 10(1)(o)(ii) of the Income Tax Act. This section provides for an exemption from South African tax from specific employment income earned while rendering services outside South Africa. The section limits such income qualifying for the exemption to any […]
Share Disposals: Calculating SARS’s slice
How to work out the taxable capital gain when disposing of share investments One of the underlying principles of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is that a capital gain is normally determined as being the difference between the proceeds on sale of an asset, less the so-called ‘base cost’. Calculating the base cost is therefore critical […]
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 […]
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 […]