Scammers seldom announce themselves with force or warning. There is no knock at the door and no prior engagement. This is particularly true when scammers use SARS branding to try and coerce a taxpayer into making payment to the scammers.
Why Home Affairs’ latest proposal should alarm investors, foreign nationals and National Treasury alike The Department of Home Affairs’ White Paper on Immigration Reform, published on 12 December 2025, presents itself as a long overdue modernisation of South Africa’s immigration system. Artificial intelligence, digitisation, streamlined skills visas and clearer pathways to permanent residence all sound […]
In its relentless pursuit of tax compliance, SARS has launched a series of initiatives aimed at streamlining tax processes through various automation enhancements. This includes the identification of specific areas of focus, to enhance detection, enforcement and voluntary compliance – enter SARS Modernisation 3.0.
Have you been living the life on social media and not telling SARS? Gone on overseas trips to exotic destinations? Purchased new cars, houses, expensive brand clothes, watches, jewellery etc.? The latest legislative change spans at least 14 new government departments who can conduct lifestyle audits. This is coupled with mandatory information-sharing across a wide […]
VAT remains one of the most powerful revenue instruments available to the South African fiscus. In practical terms, it continues to rival personal income tax as a primary contributor to government revenue and remains indispensable to SARS’s collection mandate. This reality matters.
“Your Income Tax refund is on hold because your banking details on SARS records are invalid.” Hardly the message one hopes to receive from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) at the start of a new year. Yet, this scenario is becoming increasingly common, particularly among South African expats and former residents who have left […]
As we step into 2026, there is no better time for taxpayers to gain clarity on their exact standing with the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Many individuals assume their tax affairs are in perfect order, but as the saying goes, assumption is the mother of all mistakes. When it comes to SARS, it can […]
As the 2026 provisional tax deadline approaches, thousands of South Africans are searching for clarity: What must I submit? What has changed? How do I avoid penalties & interest? These questions matter because for taxpayers earning income outside traditional employment, provisional tax is a non-negotiable responsibility and getting it wrong can be costly.
With the South African Revenue Service (SARS) expected to crack down on individual expats who remain non-compliant, South Africans living abroad and who have renounced their South African citizenship should take note that this step does not automatically end their tax obligation in South Africa. From a tax-law perspective, this assumption is incorrect and can […]
