We are receiving more and more complaints, often from highly-distressed taxpayers, who are forwarding emails, SMSs and WhatsApp messages that appear to be from SARS, but are in fact scams. Increasingly convincing, these messages are causing unnecessary distress and raising the risk of being scammed. Here’s a timely Cybersecurity Awareness Month refresher on how to spot a SARS scam and what to do if you receive one. Our top suggestion? Simply check in with our team for peace of mind.

SARS has strict rules regarding entertainment expenses for both income tax deductions and VAT, and a claim for entertainment expenses will likely be flagged for investigation by SARS. This is why it’s crucial to have a solid understanding of what can and can't be claimed. We encourage you to rely on our expert oversight before claiming. This is the best way of ensuring your tax position is verified and you have adequate proof that the claims are for legitimate business expenses.

07 October: PAYE submissions and payments 23 October: • End of Personal Income Tax Filing Season 2026 for non-provisional taxpayers • VAT manual submissions and payments 29 October: Excise duty payments 30 October: • VAT electronic submissions and payments • CIT Provisional Tax payments where applicable