Plain-English guidance for South African business owners.
Tax updates, decision guides and practical how-tos from accountants who think like owners. Every article says what changed, what it means and what to do next.
Latest
How to choose an accountant
How to choose an accountant for your South African small business: which designations matter, SARS tax practitioner registration, ten questions to ask and red flags to avoid.
ExplainerAccountant vs bookkeeper
Accountant vs bookkeeper in South Africa: what each does, where they overlap, who files VAT and tax returns, and which your business needs first at each stage of growth.
How-to guideHow to register a company
How to register a company in South Africa: CIPC BizPortal steps, fees, the SARS income tax number, when to register for VAT and payroll, and annual duties after registration.
Decision guideSARS audit, verification and objections
SARS audit, verification or objection: the difference, what to do the day a letter arrives, response deadlines, the 80-business-day objection window and penalties up to 200%.
Decision guideXero or Sage
Xero or Sage for a South African small business: how to choose cloud accounting software, what to check for VAT, payroll and bank feeds, and how to set it up properly.
ChecklistYear-end tax checklist for small businesses
Year-end tax checklist for South African small businesses: what to do before the tax year ends on 28 February 2027, from stock counts to payroll and provisional tax.
Tax updateVAT registration: the new R2.3 million threshold
The VAT registration threshold rose from R1 million to R2.3 million on 1 April 2026. Who must register, who can, and how to decide whether to deregister.
Decision guideTurnover tax vs normal tax: which fits your business?
Turnover tax vs normal tax in South Africa: turnover tax now covers turnover up to R2.3 million. How it compares with a company, with a worked example and decision guide.
Tax & compliance
Year-end tax checklist for small businesses
Year-end tax checklist for South African small businesses: what to do before the tax year ends on 28 February 2027, from stock counts to payroll and provisional tax.
Tax updateVAT registration: the new R2.3 million threshold
The VAT registration threshold rose from R1 million to R2.3 million on 1 April 2026. Who must register, who can, and how to decide whether to deregister.
Decision guideTurnover tax vs normal tax: which fits your business?
Turnover tax vs normal tax in South Africa: turnover tax now covers turnover up to R2.3 million. How it compares with a company, with a worked example and decision guide.
Decision guideSole proprietor or company: tax compared
Would a company save you tax? We compare a sole proprietor with a small business corporation at five profit levels, using the 2026/27 rates, and show when a company helps.
Decision guideSelling your business: capital gains tax in 2026
Selling your business: how capital gains tax works in 2026, the R2.7 million small business exclusion and a worked example for South African owners.
How-to guideProvisional tax: dates, estimates and penalties
Provisional tax for small business in South Africa: who pays, the August and February dates, the 20% underestimation penalty and how to make an estimate SARS accepts.
ExplainerCan't pay SARS? Your options
Can't pay SARS? What happens when a South African business owes tax it cannot pay: interest at 10.25%, final demand, bank collection and four ways to settle.
Cash flow & finance
How to improve cash flow in your business
How to improve cash flow in a South African small business: build a 13-week forecast, speed up money coming in, slow money going out and plan for SARS payment dates.
Decision guideHow to price your products and services
How to price products and services in South Africa: set a price that covers costs and VAT and earns your margin. Margin vs markup, hourly rates and break-even.
How-to guideHow to get customers to pay you on time
How to get customers to pay on time: a credit control routine for South African small businesses, from vetting and terms to follow-up, deposits and unpaid invoices.
Running your business
Recording accounting transactions
How to record accounting transactions: what to keep, how to record sales, purchases and VAT, how often to reconcile, and how long South African law says you must keep records.
How-to guideHow to read your management accounts in 10 minutes
A five-step way to read monthly management accounts: gross margin, overheads, debtor and creditor days, the current ratio and cash, with a worked example.
Decision guideOutsourced CFO in South Africa: cost and when to hire
What an outsourced CFO does, how it compares with hiring a full-time finance director in South Africa, what the published salary data says and how to decide.
ExplainerDebits and credits explained
What debits and credits mean, which accounts go up and down, worked examples with VAT, and why your bank statement looks the opposite way round to your books.
ChecklistCommon accounting mistakes and how to avoid them
Nine accounting mistakes that cost South African small businesses money, from mixing personal spending to missing SARS dates, with a simple fix for each one.
Industry guides
Deposits, VAT and the tourism levy
How to treat booking deposits for VAT after SARS's April 2026 rulings, why services to foreign tourists in South Africa are still standard-rated, and the 1% tourism levy.
Industry guideSection 18A receipts and PBO rules for non-profits
What a valid section 18A receipt must show, who may issue one, the annual IT12EI return every exempt organisation must file, and the records to keep.
Industry guideRestaurant food cost percentage explained
Restaurant food cost percentage: how to work it out on VAT-exclusive sales, cost each dish, find the gap between actual and theoretical food cost and price your menu.
Industry guideManufacturing accounting in South Africa explained
Manufacturing accounting in South Africa: how to cost products, value stock and work in progress, track wastage and claim the section 12C allowance on new plant.
Industry guideHow to structure a medical practice
How to structure a medical practice in South Africa: sole practitioner, partnership or company? What the HPCSA allows and when a company actually saves a doctor tax.
Industry guideCIDB grading and your financial statements
How CIDB grading works: the CIDB grades South African contractors on track record and available capital. What your financial statements must show and how to prepare them.
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