Work with the tax man

If you've been doom-scrolling through news about Sars' fancy new artificial intelligence (AI) tools hunting down tax dodgers, take a deep breath.

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Sure, the South African taxman is getting smarter, but that doesn't mean you need to panic.

Here's the thing: in a country where only 7,4 million people out of 64 million actually pay personal income tax (while 28 million rely on social grants), Sars is obviously feeling the pressure to collect every rand they can. But instead of running for the hills, why not flip the script and make tax season work for you?

"Whether you have an accountant, a tax practitioner or file your own tax return, look out for the following points to legally reduce what you owe Sars, maximise refunds, and combat tax debt in 2025," says Roxanna Naidoo, Head of Global Strategy at Latita Africa.

STOP PANICKING, START PLANNING

"It's true that Sars is increasing scrutiny and ramping up tax collection measures," admits Naidoo, who's been seeing more clients getting those dreaded final demand letters and verification requests lately. "But don't panic. Tax season is an annual opportunity to assess your finances - a tool for getting your tax affairs in order."

Her advice? "Go have a look at what you owe Sars; you may be surprised that Sars actually owes you money."

GET YOUR DIGITAL HOUSE IN ORDER