16 guides
Tax guides
How the Act treats PAYE, CGT, interest, donations, home office, and section 23(m). Read the section. Then decide if your facts fit.
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Home Office Deduction
If you have a dedicated room used regularly and exclusively for work, section 23(b) can allow a floor-area share of certain home costs. Employees face extra tests. From the 2023 year of assessment, Interpretation Note 28 keeps mortgage interest out of an employee home-office claim.
Taxzi can flag home office claims on your statement.
Travel Allowance
If you receive a travel allowance from your employer or use your own vehicle for business purposes, you can claim a significant tax deduction. SARS provides two methods: the actual cost method (with a logbook) and the deemed cost method.
Taxzi can flag travel and vehicle claims on your statement.
Medical Tax Credits
South Africa offers two types of medical tax credits: the Medical Scheme Fees Tax Credit (Section 6A) and the Additional Medical Expenses Tax Credit (Section 6B). Together, these can significantly reduce your tax bill, especially if you have dependants or high medical expenses.
Taxzi can flag medical expense claims on your statement.
Retirement Annuity Deduction
Contributions to a retirement annuity (RA) fund are one of the most powerful tax deductions available to South Africans. Under Section 11F, you can deduct up to 27.5% of your taxable income (capped at R430,000 per year from 1 March 2026) for contributions to approved retirement funds.
Taxzi can flag retirement annuity contributions on your statement.
Provisional Tax
If you earn income that is not subject to PAYE (employees' tax) - such as freelance income, rental income, or investment income exceeding R30,000 - you're likely a provisional taxpayer. This means you must estimate and pay your tax in advance, twice a year.
Taxzi can flag side income SARS will expect on your statement.
Section 11 Deductions
Section 11 of the Income Tax Act is where most individual and business deductions live. If you earn income from trade, you can deduct expenses actually incurred in the production of that income, provided they are not of a capital nature.
Taxzi can flag business expense claims on your statement.
Section 23(m) Employees
If your year is remuneration and no separate trade, section 23(m) blocks most work expenses. The list of what remains is short. Treat everything else as personal until your facts change.
Taxzi can flag claims 23(m) still allows on your statement.
Two-Pot Tax
A withdrawal from the savings component is income in the year you take it. The fund withholds tax using a SARS directive. That withholding can still be short.
Taxzi can flag two-pot and RA lines on your statement.
Tax-Free Savings
A TFSA shelters growth. It does not reduce taxable income the way a retirement annuity does. Stay inside the contribution limits or SARS takes 40% of the excess.
Taxzi can flag TFSA contributions on your statement.
PAYE and IRP5
If you are paid through a payroll, the deposit in your bank is usually net. SARS taxes the gross and credits the PAYE your employer withheld. The IRP5 is the certificate for that year, not a guess from one payslip.
Taxzi can flag income your IRP5 misses on your statement.
Capital Gains Tax
A share, crypto, or property disposal is not taxed like a salary. Individuals include 40% of the net gain (after the annual exclusion) in taxable income. The bank credit is usually proceeds.
Taxzi can flag share and crypto sales on your statement.
Interest Exemption
South African-source interest from a bank or similar is income, then partly exempt. The exemption is not optional and it is not CGT.
Taxzi can flag interest income on your statement.
Section 18A Donations
A deductible donation is narrow. The organisation must be approved, you need the section 18A certificate, and the Act caps the deduction at 10% of taxable income.
Taxzi can flag section 18A donations on your statement.
Foreign Income
Residence is not “I got paid in USD.” A South African tax resident declares worldwide income, then looks for a specific exemption or a foreign-tax credit. Silence is not a category.
Taxzi can flag foreign income on your statement.
Wear and Tear (IN 47)
A tool that lasts years is usually capital. Section 11(e) lets you write it off over the SARS-accepted life, not the day you tapped the card.
Taxzi can flag laptop and equipment claims on your statement.
How to Pay SARS
A return and a payment are different buttons. Pay against the right account and reference or the money sits unmatched while interest runs.
Taxzi can flag SARS payments and refunds on your statement.
Find the SARS claims hiding in your bank statements
Upload bank statements. Taxzi flags lines that may qualify under SARS rules. Mixed shops stay out until you say what they were. You confirm every claim. This is guidance — not a filed return.
Works with FNB, Standard Bank, Absa, Nedbank, Capitec, Investec and Discovery Bank PDF statements.
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