Tag: TaxPlanning

Retirement annuity contributions can carry forward when taxpayers do not claim them. However, most taxpayers never check whether this happened. From today, taxpayers who received a South African Revenue Service (SARS) auto-assessment this month can submit a corrected return if they find something inaccurate or missing. One of the most commonly overlooked corrections involves a contribution that a taxpayer made months, or sometimes years before this year's assessment was generated.

The role of the nine-to-five is changing, and South Africa’s financial reality reflects this shift. According to the South African Reserve Bank, household debt levels remain high at around three-quarters of disposable income. Meanwhile, savings rates remain persistently low. This leaves many households with little room to absorb shocks, build long-term security and provide for retirement.

The five-year lock-in period on South Africa's Section 12J hospitality investments is over. Across the country, investors who entered these vehicles for the generous upfront tax deduction are now facing a far more sobering reality. Hospitality investors face distressed assets, a near-absent secondary market and a Capital Gains Tax (CGT) liability that is calculated not on their actual return, but on every Rand they receive at exit.

The National Treasury’s long-awaited 2026 tax amendment Acts have now been promulgated. These 2026 Tax Amendments introduce a focused set of changes to South Africa’s Value Added Tax (VAT) and Income Tax frameworks. As a result, these amendments carry immediate practical consequences for taxpayers, employers and investors.

The 2026 national budget did not introduce significant headline tax increases. However, the 2026 national budget implemented structural threshold adjustments that materially affect succession planning. These adjustments also affect retirement modelling, estate liquidity analysis and business exit calculations for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) owners.

Estate planning and retirement planning rarely appear in the same discussion. This separation often obscures the importance of retirement and estate planning as a connected process. This is because they focus on different life stages. People often treat them as separate aspects of financial planning. However, it remains important to consider your retirement funds when constructing your estate plan.

As we step into 2026, there is no better time for taxpayers to gain clarity on their standing with the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Many individuals assume their tax affairs are in perfect order. However, as the saying goes, assumption is the mother of all mistakes. When dealing with SARS, that mistake can become costly.