OCTA - Oxen Chartered Tax Advisors

To the taxi operators, Uber drivers, and rideshare hustlers — this is for you.

Your vehicle isn't just transport. It's a business asset. And SARS agrees.

These costs are potentially deductible against your income:
— Fuel and oil
— Vehicle maintenance and repairs
— Insurance premiums
— Licence and permit fees
— Finance costs on your vehicle

The difference between claiming and not claiming can be tens of thousands of rands a year.

The only requirement is records — and the right structure. If you've been operating and never claimed a single expense, you're not too late. We work with operators across Cape Town and we can show you what's possible.

Most people hand their IRP5 over without reading a single line on it.

This one document determines your entire tax story for the year. Here's what those codes actually mean:

— 3601: Your basic salary
— 3713: Travel allowance paid by your employer
— 4102: The PAYE already deducted from your pay

If any of these numbers are wrong, your employer's error is still YOUR tax problem. SARS doesn't make the distinction.

Before you sign anything or send your IRP5 to anyone, know what's on it.

If there's a code on yours that you've always wondered about, drop it in the comments — we'll explain what it means and whether it's working for or against you.

SARS can owe YOU money. Most South Africans have no idea.

Under Section 190 of the Tax Administration Act, when SARS holds a refund past their legal deadline, they owe you interest — at the repo rate plus 3.5%.

This isn't a loophole. It's the law. Real taxpayers have received interest payments directly from SARS. Most never knew to ask.

If you've been waiting on a SARS refund longer than feels fair, leave a comment with how long. Sometimes there's something we can do — and it's worth a conversation.

Your medical aid is working harder than you think.

Every month, SARS owes you a credit off your tax bill:
— R364 for yourself
— R364 for your first dependent
— R246 for each additional dependent

A family of four: R1,220 a month. R14,640 a year — directly off what you owe SARS.

It's not a tax tip or a loophole. It's already yours, written into the law.

If you're paying medical aid and you're not sure whether you're claiming the credit correctly, send us a message. We check this for clients all the time — it takes a few minutes.

Working two jobs? SARS taxes each of them as if it were your only one.

Both employers deduct PAYE as if their job is your only source of income. The tables don't add up your incomes .... but SARS does, at year-end. The result is usually a shortfall.

A nurse earning R18,000 at a hospital and R8,000 at a second job can be R2,000 to R5,000 short when SARS reconciles.

A tax directive prevents this. It tells your second employer the right rate to deduct from day one.

If you're working two jobs and the year-end is starting to worry you, send us a message. We sort directives all the time, there's still time to do this properly.

Two-pot withdrawal? SARS will take a bigger slice than you expect. 🏦✂️

Meet Christine. She's a teacher, earns R35,000 a month, and her car needs R50,000 in repairs. She can't wait — so she applies for a two-pot withdrawal. ✅

What she expected to receive: R50,000 💰
What SARS actually paid out: R32,500 😳

That R17,500 didn't disappear into thin air. SARS added her R50,000 withdrawal on top of her salary and taxed the whole pile together.

Her withdrawal alone got hit at 36%. No warning. No breakdown. Just a smaller number in her account.

The worst part? She still needed the full R50,000 for the repairs. Now she's short and her retirement savings are already R50,000 lighter. 📉

This is the trap. The two-pot system is a lifeline, but it's not free money. If you don't know your marginal tax rate before you withdraw, you're guessing with your own savings.