What happens if I have exceeded my contribution limit at retirement?

  Written by Nicci   Posted 14 February 2025

Saving for retirement is one of the best financial decisions you can make, but sometimes, you may contribute more than the tax-deductible limit in a tax year. In South Africa, the tax-deductible limit for retirement contributions is 27.5% of taxable income, capped at R350,000 per year. If you contribute more than this limit, the excess amount does not provide an immediate tax benefit. However, it is not lost. Instead, these 'excess contributions' are carried forward to be used in the future, ...

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How would SARS tax you if you win the Powerball?

  Written by Alicia   Posted 21 May 2024

If I win the Powerball and decide to put all my winnings into a savings account and live off the interest, will I have to pay tax on my interest earned only, or am I supposed to pay tax on the total amount of winnings in the account?

Can construction workers claim a tax refund?

  Written by Nicci   Posted 30 April 2024

I work as a bricklayer on a building site. Do I need to submit a tax return and are construction employees allowed to claim a tax refund?

Overseas income

  Written by Neo   Updated 9 May 2022

I have been working overseas and will be doing so for the whole of 2022 tax year making me provisional:
a. What average exchange rate will I use?
b. When is the first Provisional tax return due and, if necessary payable?
c. Can I deduct my overseas pension and medical from my gross income or is this only if I have a pension/RA and medical in South Africa?
d. I know that R1. 25 mil is exempt so how would I work out the tax on that as I know that I cannot claim all overseas tax...

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Will I get a tax refund if I accept the SARS auto-assessment?

  Written by Neo   Updated 9 May 2022

My auto-assessment shows that I am due a tax refund. Can this be correct? Do you think I will receive the refund if I accept it, or should I rather reject it and file a tax return?

Why am I getting auto-assessed? Where is my tax return?

  Written by Neo   Updated 3 May 2022

I received an auto-assessment from SARS but I am confused what this means. Why have I been selected by SARS and how did SARS get my data? Can I still submit a tax return if I want to?

Retrenchment tax

  Written by Neo   Updated 25 April 2022

I have been retrenched because of the company cutting back on staff. My severance package is R107000 including R14000 leave pay. I am 57 years old female. I have been paid out R87000, is that correct?
I thought I did not have to pay tax if my lump sum was under R500 000? Please could you assist me with this as I am very much confused?

Severance pay and tax exemption

  Written by Neo   Updated 17 April 2022

My severance pay was taxed normal tax after I got retrenched even though my employer informed me that they applied for a tax exemption. Is this correct because I am confused about this? It was the first time an exemption was requested on my behalf and it was the first-time I got retrenched too. The amount of my severance pay was R370 000 and it was taxed normally. What recourse do you perhaps have for me regarding this matter please?

Divorce payout of approximately R850,000.00. How much would SARS tax?

  Written by Evan   Updated 11 April 2022

My husband needs to pay me R850 000 maintenance as part of our divorce settlement, seeing as he does not have the funds all at once so he will be paying it to me in as a lump sum of R600 000 and the rest will be monthly payments for 3 years. What will the tax be on it?

TaxTim says:

There should be no tax due on the R600 000 if it's maintenance paid from your husband to you, you are however required to declare this income to SARS under the n...

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What is the difference between Pensionable and non-pensionable salary?

  Written by Marc   Posted 8 April 2022

Q: Please explain the tax calculation between pensionable and non-pensionable salary

Medical Aid and Pension contributions on IRP5

  Written by Nicci   Updated 7 April 2022

I struggle to understand how the (The total deduction - code 4497 on IRP5) is calculated. I have a medical aid fund, pension fund and retirement annuity. My employer (the church) is contributing to all three of these funds. This question is for the 2021/2022 tax year with the new T-day implications. In the income section, the following IRP5 codes are used. (This I understand)
3810 - Medical aid benefit
3817 - Pension fund fringe benefit
3828 - RA fringe benefit

In the deductions/contribution section. These are the only items Payroll shows. ...

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What happens once I've submitted my tax return form?

  Written by Marc   Posted 6 April 2022

One of the questions most asked when it comes to tax season, is “what happens now that I’ve submitted my income tax return, when do I get my refund?”’

If you’re due a tax refund then you will probably get the money deposited into your account within a few days. SARS will also email or SMS you telling you that an IT34 (Summary of your return and refund) and ITSA (Income Tax Statement of Account) have been issued. They will detail your tax refund (tax back) if any. So look forward to that deposit into your account. ...

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Retirement lump sum calculator

  Written by Neo   Updated 5 April 2022

The TaxTim lump sum tax calculator provides for BEFORE and AFTER retirement, retrenchment or death - with a marked difference between the BEFORE and AFTER options. I would just like to make sure that this is correct, as I am being told by my fund that withdrawing retirement funds (post retrenchment - but before retirement age) does not have the same rate. I have been forced to withdraw from my pension fund because of retrenchment due to "redundancy because of a general reduction in personnel" (a cost to company reduction)...

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How to calculate provident fund deductions for 2016/2017?

  Written by Nicci   Updated 5 April 2022

Please can you show an example of how the employer and employee's provident fund will affect the monthly tax 2021/2022. I still do salaries manually.

What does code 3801 and 3810 on irp5 stand for? If fringe benefits why wont they appear on payslip?

  Written by Marc   Updated 1 April 2022

I am currently completing my 2 daughters, my son in law, my husband and my tax returns for the 2015 tax year and I am unsure of code 3801 and 3810 on my daughter's tax return. What could these fringe benefits be? I don't see it on her payslips? Her salary structure is that her salary as a cash amount and travel allowance on her payslip as well her medical aid, disability, provident, Income protection insurance and ancillary fee but her IRP5 does not show the above on her IRP5?
Confused! Doe...

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How do independent contractors get taxed?

  Written by Marc   Posted 31 March 2022

I will be taking a new job that requires me to be a contractor. There are mixed opinions on how contractors get taxed. The consulting company assures me this is a flat rate of 25%, but on reading SAICA's website I found this little nugget: " If the independent contractor works more than 22 hours a week, he/she must be taxed in terms of the income tax tables".
I will definitely be working more than 22 hours a week, can you tell me things will work, please?

The question of tax relates to how you are perceived to be working for the "employer" to whom you will be contracting out to...

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Where to find proof of income tax reference number?

  Written by Nicci   Updated 30 March 2022

I need documented proof of income tax reference number - not IRP 5 or salary slip. Where do I get this? I need this for retirement papers.

Tax on Forex Trading

  Written by Neo   Updated 29 March 2022

Q: How do I go about paying tax on forex income?

I will soon be receiving additional income of about R30000.00pm from a forex investor who is trading on my behalf, I am not trading. My current income is around R36000.00 to R41000.00 gross per month.
How do I go about paying tax on the forex income? Do I have any exemptions on this?

Also can you please give me advice in terms of paying less tax? I presume the bes...

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Tax on Lump Sum payment - Provident Fund

  Written by Nicci   Posted 16 March 2022

Hi,

A friend received a lump sum payment from her provident fund to pay for a family members medical bills. Is she able to claim back some of the tax paid over to SARS for the additional medical expenses? She had previously received a lump sum payment on retrenchment, so this is the second lump sum recieved from the fund. She has no other income.

Should source code 3699 reflect on your cost to company?

  Written by Nicci   Posted 16 March 2022

Does source code 3699 include all employment income, so it should it reflect your cost to company?

Freezing emigrants Retirement Annuities, how do I declare non-tax resident status?

  Written by Neo   Posted 10 February 2021

Hi TaxTim, please can I ask about emigration and Retirement Annuities (RA)?

The new South African tax regulation, effective March 1, regarding emigrants' RAs being frozen for 3 years after financially emigrating:

1. I was told the start of the 3 years is not from date of financially emigrating, but rather the declaration date of non-tax resident status, is this correct?
2. If so, how does one declare oneself a non-tax resident?
3. I may have already declared mysel...

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What does SARS mean by auto-assessment?

  Written by Neo   Posted 27 July 2020

I saw something in a news article about SARS issuing auto-assessments this year from 1 August. I tried to research but couldn't find much and this is all very new to me. Please can you explain what this is? Are there any new changes which I need to be aware moving forward? I have been filing my own tax return for the past years, but I hear that I might not need to do so this year.

SARS sent me an SMS about auto-assessment? Is this legit?

  Written by Neo   Posted 20 July 2020

I received an SMS from SARS which mentioned something about an auto-assessment. I have not heard of this before. I don't trust anyone these days, and because of that I just want to ensure that this is legit - do you think this is a scam?

Tax deductions exceeds the tax paid

  Written by Neo   Posted 28 May 2020

What happens if my Allowable Tax Deductions exceeds the tax paid in the same year. Logically I should only be able to claim back the actual tax paid? It will be Additional allowable Medical claims which will not be covered by the medical aid. These amounts plus smaller deductions will push the claims to over and above the tax payable amount.

Contract worker and Tax

  Written by Neo   Posted 22 May 2020

I was retrenched at the end of 2017. My last Tax Return was done in the year 2018. Since April 2019 I have been receiving income for work done on a contract basis and the company indicated that I need to see to my own tax affairs. How do I go about filing my tax return for 2020? Your assistance is highly appreciated.
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