Jen E Professional Accountants

No Auto-Assessment from SARS? Here Is Your Plan

The auto-assessment window closed on 12 July. If SARS did not send you an SMS, email, or WhatsApp by then, you are filing manually this season.

Do not panic, and do not procrastinate. You have until 23 October, but the calmest returns are always the earliest ones.

Three reasons to file this week:

✅ Refunds are processed within 72 hours when everything is in order
✅ Any queries or missing documents can be sorted well before deadline pressure
✅ eFiling runs faster before the October rush

Before you start, double check three things: banking details on eFiling, contact info, and any outstanding returns from prior years. All three can quietly delay a refund.

If you would rather hand it to us, we will handle the whole return. One message is all it takes.

The Deductions Most South Africans Forget to Claim

Every filing season, we see the same missed claims. Perfectly legitimate deductions that quietly get left off returns, costing taxpayers real rands.

Here are the most common misses:

🔹 Out-of-pocket medical expenses not covered by your scheme
🔹 Retirement annuity contributions made outside payroll
🔹 Home office costs, if you work from home regularly and have a dedicated space
🔹 Section 18A donations to registered public benefit organisations
🔹 Travel expenses, but only if you kept a proper logbook
🔹 Solar and renewable energy credits under Section 12B for businesses

The catch? Every deduction needs supporting documents. If SARS asks and you cannot produce the paperwork, the claim comes off.

Filing season is the moment these details matter most. If you are not sure what you qualify for, let us look through your records before you submit.

Mandela Day: 67 Minutes, and Everything That Comes After 🕊️

Today, South Africa pauses to remember Nelson Mandela.

The 67 minutes are the visible part. The chosen classroom, the packed food parcels, the swept community centre. Meaningful, and worth doing.

But Madiba's legacy is really about what happens on the other 364 days. The quiet, patient work of building. Choosing dignity when it is not convenient. Showing up for people who cannot repay you. Doing your job with integrity when nobody is watching.

Every act of ordinary decency counts. A teacher preparing tomorrow's lesson. A small business paying salaries on time. A neighbour keeping an eye out for someone else's child.

That is the freedom Madiba fought for. Wishing you a meaningful Mandela Day.

Manual Filing: Here Is Your Document Checklist 📋

If SARS did not auto-assess you, filing is now in your hands. The good news is that the process runs a lot smoother when your paperwork is lined up before you log in.

Here is what to gather:

✅ IRP5 or IT3(a) from every employer or pension provider
✅ Medical aid tax certificate
✅ RA and pension contribution certificates
✅ IT3(b) and IT3(c) from banks and investments
✅ Home office costs if you qualify (rent, electricity, repairs)
✅ Logbook if you claim travel
✅ Section 18A certificates for donations
✅ Records of any rental or side hustle income

You have until 23 October to file. Do not leave it for the last week.

Need help pulling everything together? Send us your docs and we will run the return for you.

National Savings Month: Two Ways to Save That SARS Rewards 💡

July is National Savings Month, and if you are going to build a saving habit, you may as well let the tax system help.

Two vehicles do the heavy lifting for South Africans:

📈 Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA)
From 1 March 2026, you can contribute up to R46,000 per tax year, with a lifetime cap of R500,000.
All growth, dividends, and withdrawals are tax-free. Perfect for medium to long-term goals.

🏦 Retirement Annuity (RA)
Contributions are tax deductible up to 27.5% of your taxable income, capped at R430,000 per year from 1 March 2026.
That means real money back on your assessment.

They work best together, not as an either or. TFSA for flexibility, RA for retirement and tax relief.

Want help fitting both into your budget? Let us chat.

Got an Auto-Assessment? Read Before You Agree 🔍

If SARS has already sent you an auto-assessment this week, it can feel like the tax gods have smiled on you. Not so fast.

Auto-assessments are built on third-party data. That is powerful, but not complete. SARS does not know about:

🔸 Your rental income
🔸 Side hustle or freelance earnings
🔸 Home office expenses
🔸 Extra medical costs you paid out of pocket
🔸 RA contributions made outside your employer

If any of these apply to you, accepting as-is could mean paying too much tax, or missing a bigger refund.

Here is the smart move. Compare the assessment to your own records first. If something is missing, file a corrected ITR12 before 23 October.

Want a second pair of eyes before you agree? We are happy to check it for you.

Filing Season: Here Is What Is New for 2026 📅

SARS Filing Season 2026 has kicked off. If your tax affairs are straightforward, you might not even need to lift a finger.

Between 1 and 12 July, SARS is issuing around 6 million auto-assessments by SMS, email, or now WhatsApp. Manual filing for everyone else opens on 13 July.

A few genuinely useful changes this year:

✅ WhatsApp delivery of your ITA34 and Statement of Account
✅ More prefilled data, including investment income
✅ A simpler return form with clearer questions
✅ A dropdown of approved medical aid schemes
✅ New alerts to catch small errors before they become audits

Before anything else, log into eFiling and check your banking details, contact info, and any outstanding returns. A closed bank account is the fastest way to delay a refund.

Not sure where to start? Send us a message.

Growth without planning can strain finances.
Before expanding, businesses must forecast costs like staffing, equipment, compliance, and working capital.

💡 Expansion Planning Essentials:
✔ Model best- and worst-case scenarios
✔ Secure funding before scaling
✔ Monitor break-even timelines
✔ Protect cash reserves

📞 Let’s build a financial model before you grow.

Smart systems save time and money.
💡 Try These Efficiency Hacks:
✔ Automate invoicing & reminders
✔ Link bank feeds to accounting software
✔ Schedule weekly finance reviews
✔ Use dashboards to track KPIs

📞 Ask us how to streamline your accounting processes.

Monthly reporting helps you make decisions based on facts - not guesswork.

💡 A Strong Report Includes:
✔ Profit & Loss summary
✔ Cash flow overview
✔ Expense analysis
✔ Key performance indicators

Regular reporting improves planning, funding readiness, and tax forecasting.

📞 Want meaningful monthly reports? We’ll prepare and explain them.