APT Practitioners - APT Group

Could your company qualify for Small Business Corporation tax benefits?

Many South African business owners operate through companies, but never stop to ask whether the company qualifies for more favourable SBC tax rates.

For the 2026/2027 year of assessment, SARS lists a 0% tax bracket for qualifying Small Business Corporations on taxable income up to R99,000.

But this is the important part:

SBC tax treatment is not automatic.

Your company must meet the relevant requirements before the benefit can apply.

Business owners should ask:

• Is the company correctly structured?
• Who are the shareholders?
• What activities does the company conduct?
• Does the company meet the SBC requirements?
• Are the tax benefits being properly applied?
• Is the company missing an opportunity?

A small business should not pay more tax simply because its structure was never reviewed.

Ask APT Practitioners to assess whether your company may qualify for SBC tax benefits.

Selected for SARS verification?

First: don’t panic.

Verification does not automatically mean you did something wrong. But it does mean SARS wants supporting documents before finalising or confirming your assessment.

The real problem starts when taxpayers cannot prove what they submitted.

Common issues include:

• Missing medical aid certificates
• Unsupported travel claims
• No proof of donations
• Rental income or expenses not properly recorded
• Business expenses claimed without invoices
• Retirement annuity contributions not supported
• Bank statements and proof of payment not available

A tax return should never rely on “I’ll find it if SARS asks.”

By the time SARS asks, your documents should already be ready.

At APT Practitioners, we help taxpayers prepare properly, respond to SARS queries and reduce unnecessary stress during tax season.

If SARS requests verification, let APT Practitioners help you respond properly.

Not every expense is automatically a tax deduction.

Many taxpayers assume that if they paid for something, they can claim it.

But SARS is not only interested in what you spent.

The real questions are:

- Was the expense legitimate?
- Was it connected to your income or business?
- Can you prove it?
- Do you have the correct supporting documents?
- Would the claim still make sense if SARS asked questions?

A deduction should tell a clear story.

That story needs proof, purpose and a proper link to your taxable income or business activities.

At APT Practitioners, we help clients prepare tax returns properly, identify legitimate deductions and avoid unsupported claims that may create unnecessary risk.

Before claiming deductions, make sure your records can support them. Speak to APT Practitioners this tax season.

Happy Youth Day, South Africa 🇿🇦

The VAT threshold has changed but VAT still needs strategy.

From 1 April 2026, SARS confirms that the compulsory VAT registration threshold increased from R1 million to R2.3 million.

That may sound like good news for many small businesses, but it does not mean VAT can simply be ignored.

Before making a VAT decision, business owners should ask:

• Is my turnover close to the new threshold?
• Do I sell mainly to VAT-registered clients?
• Am I losing input VAT claims by not registering?
• Will VAT affect my pricing?
• Could deregistration affect my business relationships?
• Am I planning to grow beyond the threshold soon?
• Do I understand the cash flow impact of VAT?

VAT is not only about whether you “have to” register.

It is also about whether registration makes sense for your business model, clients, cash flow and future growth.

Before registering, deregistering or ignoring VAT, speak to APT Practitioners.

Your bank balance is not your business strategy.

Many business owners look at the money in the bank and assume the business is healthy.

But a bank balance does not show:

• Outstanding supplier payments
• VAT, PAYE or tax obligations
• Debtors who still need to pay
• Upcoming salaries and expenses
• Profit margins
• Cash flow pressure
• Whether the business is actually growing sustainably

Cash in the bank is only one part of the picture.

A business can look comfortable today and still be under pressure next month if the numbers are not being reviewed properly.

At APT Practitioners, we help business owners understand what their numbers are really saying so decisions are based on clarity, not guesswork.

Let APT Practitioners help you turn your numbers into better business decisions.

Tax Season is Hunting Season🦌. Are you tracking opportunities… or being tracked by deadlines?

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That interest-free loan to a trust may not be as harmless as it looks.

Many families and business owners use trusts as part of estate planning, asset protection or long-term wealth structuring. But when a connected person lends money to a trust at no interest, or at an interest rate below the official rate, section 7C of the Income Tax Act may need to be considered.

In simple terms, section 7C can affect certain low-interest or interest-free loans made to trusts by connected persons.

This matters because trust loan accounts are often left untouched for years until tax season, estate planning, a SARS query or a restructuring exercise brings them back into focus.

Trusts can still be valuable planning tools, but they must be managed properly.

If your trust has a loan account, speak to APT Practitioners about a section 7C review.

Your tax file should already exist before tax season starts.

Waiting until SARS requests documents can create unnecessary stress, delays and missed opportunities.

A well-prepared tax file should include, where applicable:

• IRP5 / IT3(a) certificates
• Medical aid tax certificates
• Retirement annuity certificates
• Travel logbook
• Donation certificates
• Rental income and expense records
• Investment income certificates
• Business income and expense records
• Proof of deductions claimed
• Bank statements and supporting invoices

Tax season becomes far easier when your documents are complete, organised and ready before submission.

At APT Practitioners, we help individuals, professionals, business owners and trusts prepare properly, not at the last minute.

Start preparing your tax file now. Contact APT Practitioners for tax season support.

SARS may auto-assess you this tax season.

But here is the important part:

An auto-assessment does not automatically mean everything is complete, correct or in your best interest.

Before you accept or rely on an assessment, ask:

- Are all my income sources reflected?
- Are my medical aid certificates included?
- Are my retirement annuity contributions correct?
- Have my travel claims, rental income or deductions been properly considered?
- Do I have the documents to support what SARS may ask for?

Auto-assessment can be convenient, but convenience should never replace proper review.

At APT Practitioners, we help individuals, professionals and business owners review their tax position before submission, so they can approach tax season with clarity and confidence.

Before you accept your auto-assessment, let APT Practitioners review your tax position.