Tag: tax liability

It goes without saying, but South Africa faces a significant and concerning unemployment rate. The 2025 State of the Nation Address reiterated South Africa’s persistent employment challenges. In particular, the Quarterly Labour Force Survey reported an unemployment rate of 31.9% in Q4 of 2024.

Burying your head in the sand will not protect you from a tax debt owed to South African Revenue Service (SARS). The imminent threat to your bank balance will not simply "blow over". You will likely resurface to find SARS has attached your savings, leaving you with no legal recourse for recovery.

Paying monthly contributions to a registered medical aid scheme ensures your healthcare cover and offers financial benefits facilitated by the government through tax relief. This tax relief, known as "tax credits", is a percentage deducted from your tax liability and subsequently refunded to you.

When we think about estate planning, we think of a plan outlining a tax-efficient way to deal with our assets when we pass away. Instead of viewing this as a ‘death plan’, try to think of it as a ‘life plan’ – a strategy created during your lifetime to ensure that your wishes are fulfilled, and that your loved ones benefit as intended after you pass away.

Dispelling accusations of any revenue collector can feel like the fight of your life, especially where you are factually not on the wrong side of the law! Amongst these collectors, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) stands firm as one of the most strategic movers, turning the fight into an all-out war, the war on non-compliance!

Landing in a position of indebtedness to South African Revenue Service (SARS) can be quite a stressful journey on its own; if forgetting to leave room for crypto profits or gain, in your suitcase, the destination becomes all that more daunting.

All taxpayers should arrange their tax affairs to obtain the best advantage and to pay the least amount of tax. This is a right every taxpayer possesses, and well entrenched in South African and international tax law. However, this planning must be done within the constraints of what the law allows.

On 31 July 2023, National Treasury released their annual draft tax law amendments, for public comment. Although still at the draft stage, there are some pertinent proposed changes for which the supporting systems have already been implemented i.e., the “Beneficial Ownership Registers”.

Expatriate tax is complex, intricate and can be challenging to understand – especially if one does not have the basics, such as what is an expat, down pat. Simply, an expatriate, or expat, is an individual who has relocated from their home country to another, either temporarily or permanently.

Finding the right balance between short-term financial needs and your retirement prospects is possible with careful consideration of the various implications and good planning. Some people don’t want to stop working, while others can hardly wait to switch to a lower gear. Either way, there’s no escaping the necessity of planning for retirement.