If you’re a small business owner aged 55 or older, the 2026 Budget contained some very good news. Not only has the CGT exemption on the sale of small business by older persons been increased, but the definition of “small business” has also been expanded. This could make a big difference to your retirement situation, not to mention the future of your business. Find out here what the new limits and conditions are, and how they might affect the decision and timing of a business sale.

Client concentration risk can sink a healthy business faster than falling sales. When one customer accounts for too much revenue, cash flow, valuation, and even survival hinge on decisions you don’t control. Here we explain the “40% Rule.” What it is, why lenders and investors care about it, and how to manage concentration risk before it manages you.

Many small business owners fall into the “do it all” trap. You start with passion, but soon find yourself buried in tasks that have nothing to do with why you launched your venture. This leads to chronic burnout. You are busy, but are you productive? This feeling of being overwhelmed often stems from a failure to distinguish between being busy and making progress. That’s why you have to identify the “invisible work” that consumes your energy without ever appearing on a customer’s invoice or adding real value.

The Annual Employer Reconciliation Declaration (EMP501) remains a focus area for SARS. Employers have until the end of May to submit their declarations for the period 1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026. We invite you to rely on our expertise to ensure compliance with this legal requirement, as submitting incorrect or incomplete declarations (or missing the deadline) will cause additional work, penalties, delays and hassles for you and your employees.

Growth feels like progress. Sales increase, staff numbers rise, and profit improves. Yet each of these shifts changes your tax position. Here we examine how business expansion can trigger VAT obligations, higher provisional tax payments, payroll risk, structural strain, and cash flow pressure. Then we discuss what small business owners should address before growth creates avoidable tax exposure.

The recent increases in the compulsory VAT registration threshold to R2.3 million and in the voluntary registration threshold to R120,000 are widely welcomed. It will certainly ease the administrative burden on small businesses and the strain on their cash flow. Businesses that do not exceed the higher threshold on 1 April 2026 may apply to deregister for VAT. But be certain to rely on our expertise when making this decision, as it’s fraught with potentially costly consequences.

While on the surface they are just a spot of fun, team building exercises are actually a strategic investment in your business culture and performance. Done well, team building strengthens communication, fosters trust, and boosts morale. Done poorly, it feels like a forced afternoon that costs money and delivers little. As a small business owner, you need team building events that produce tangible improvements. Here’s how to do that.

The global minimum tax (GMT) – called an “agreement that will really change the world” – will be implemented in South Africa by SARS in 2026/27. While it may not impact your business directly, it should ultimately reduce your share of the tax burden by ensuring all multinational enterprises (MNEs) contribute their fair share of local taxes. SARS is actively preparing and the GMT registration and notification functionality on the eFiling platform went live on 16 March 2026. Find out here why specialist advice will be ever more important for local and global taxpayers in South Africa.

Taxpayers will enjoy long-awaited tax relief with much good news contained in the 2026 Budget. It scrapped the previously announced R20 billion in tax increases, and instead provides relief for taxpayers, assists small businesses and encourages savings by adjusting various tax brackets, caps and limits. There is also real optimism about the country’s economic growth prospects. So much so that Budget 2026 has been called a fiscal turning point for SA, as important milestones are achieved. Read more good news from the Budget here…

Budget 2026 has brought long-overdue relief to taxpayers by not imposing VAT or income tax hikes and by adjusting the tables for tax rates, rebates and credits for inflation. Of course, some tax hikes were always going to happen: inflation-linked increases on sin taxes took effect on 25 February already and the fuel levies also increased. This selection of official SARS Tax Tables and other useful resources will help clarify your tax position for the new tax year. Then follow the link to Fin 24’s Budget Calculator (just follow the four-step process) to do your own calculation.

For many small business owners, cash flow problems feel like a financial puzzle that’s impossible to figure out. It’s a numbers game that puts us at the mercy of the markets, and our clients’ payment terms. But what if the real issue isn’t the figures? When it comes down to it, cash flow issues have a lot more to do with our behavioural patterns than we sometimes believe.

By handling almost instantly the repetitive, menial bookkeeping tasks that previously consumed much company time and resources, Artificial Intelligence is fundamentally streamlining accounting processes. AI can reduce costs, minimise risks, and provide real-time business performance insights faster than a human. Freeing up you and your team to focus on growing the business.

06 March – PAYE submissions and payments 25 March – VAT manual submissions and payments 30 March – Excise duty payments 31 March – End of the 2025/6 Financial year, VAT electronic submissions and payments & CIT Provisional Tax payments where applicable.

The second provisional tax deadline for the 2026 financial year is just days away on 27 February 2026. This is an important and tricky deadline, because this second provisional tax estimate must be quite accurate (within 80–90% of actual taxable income) to avoid SARS’ stiff under-estimation penalty. Find out how we can help you to meet this important deadline with the highest accuracy.

Business culture is obsessed with speed. In a world where motion, and constant optimisation is the dream, doing nothing can look like failure. Entrepreneurs, CEOs and other leaders are praised for quick decision making, rapid iteration, and relentless action, yet many of the highest performers quietly practise the opposite at critical moments. They pause. They wait. They refuse to react. Strategic inaction is often one of the most disciplined and profitable decisions a business leader can make.

As we approach the end of the tax year, now is an ideal time to make a few strategic adjustments that can strengthen your financial position. These steps are simple, high-impact, and designed to help you make the most of the tax incentives available to South Africans. Read on to make sure you end the tax year right.

Diversification is treated as a business virtue so unquestioned it borders on dogma. Expand the product line. Enter new markets. Hedge every risk. Spread exposure everywhere. Yet for many entrepreneurs, diversification may actually bring more risk than it solves. We examine whether more really is safer, and explore why simplicity, not spread, is often the real competitive advantage. Diversification makes perfect investment sense – but it doesn’t always make business sense.

06 February – PAYE submissions and payments 25 February – VAT manual submissions and payments 26 February – Excise duty payments 27 February – VAT electronic submissions and payments, CIT Provisional Tax payments where applicable and PIT Second Provisional Tax payments for the 2026 year of assessment.

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” (Peter F. Drucker, Business Management Guru) Entrepreneurs are hardwired to look forward, and chase the next win. This constant looking ahead can create a costly strategic blind spot. When you rush past December’s data to write January’s plan, you run the risk of missing the critical […]

“A fresh start is not a place, it is a mindset.” (Jordan Peterson) The beginning of the new year can be more than another Monday morning: it can be a powerful psychological reset button. The ‘fresh start effect’ comes after milestones, like New Year’s or anniversaries, that help people believe they can become better versions […]

“The outlook is clear: resilience and innovation will define Africa’s growth story.” (Ignatius Sehoole, CEO of KPMG South Africa) “A continent brimming with optimism.” This is how KPMG’s 11th Africa CEO Outlook describes Africa. Among the African CEOs surveyed, 63% expressed optimism about their country’s growth prospects and 78% expressed strong business confidence. Over the […]

“People don’t mind price increases as much as they mind surprises.” (Robert Cialdini, Psychologist and Business Author) Costs go up and so do prices. And yet most businesses raise prices later than they should. A global study by Simon-Kucher found that less than a quarter of companies adjust prices multiple times a year as needed, […]

07 January – PAYE submissions and payments 19 January – End of Filing Season 2025 for Provisional Taxpayers and End of Filing Season 2025 for Trusts 23 January – VAT manual submissions and payments               29 January – Excise duty payments 30 January – VAT electronic submissions and payments & CIT Provisional Tax payments where applicable. […]

“Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.” (Mark Black) By prioritising rest and relaxation (R&R) over the holidays, businesses can cultivate a healthier, more productive, and more resilient workforce – which ultimately leads to sustained high performance. Here’s why R&R matters for your business performance… And how to help your team make […]

“A rich man without charity is a rogue; and perhaps it would be no difficult matter to prove that he is also a fool.” (Henry Fielding, English writer and judge) Across the country, tens of thousands of groups run feeding schemes, environmental projects, schools, clinics, and training centres, often built on passion rather than profit. […]

“The South African Revenue Service is always ready to assist taxpayers to fulfil their legal obligations.” (SARS) Acknowledging that taxpayers often find it difficult to settle tax debt due to financial challenges, SARS has launched an expedited debt compromise process to help eligible taxpayers settle outstanding tax debts swiftly and on more favourable terms. The […]

“You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality.” (Walt Disney) Faced with rising demand, every successful solo-business person or freelancer will start wishing they had someone around who could help. But deciding to hire means planning for ongoing salary […]

Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be used or relied on as professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact us for specific and detailed advice. © AccountingDotNews

“Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing, but of reflection.” (Winston Churchill) Can you believe November is upon us already? But instead of panicking about Christmas presents, it’s time to get strategic. The end of the year presents a crucial opportunity to settle outstanding matters, measure your business’s progress, and establish a strong foundation […]

“Trustees remain accountable for all tax matters of a trust, regardless of the economic activity of the trust.” (SARS) The official trust filing season for the 2025 year of assessment is now open for both provisional and non-provisional taxpayers – and SARS has issued stern warnings to trustees to fulfil their tax obligations.  Who must […]