12/10/2026
There's a SARS system where a small business can bring in R600k and pay R0 tax. It's called turnover tax. Almost nobody who qualifies has heard of it because it's optional
SARS never tells you it exists.
Instead of taxing profit, you pay on turnover:
- R0 - R600k = 0%
- R600k - R950k = 1% of amount over R600k
- So R900k turnover = R3,000 tax. For the year. Not per month.
It replaces income tax, provisional tax, CGT and dividends tax in one move. Record-keeping is just income received + assets over R10k.
Catch: It's on turnover, not profit. No expenses deducted. If your margins are thin, normal tax can be cheaper. And not everyone qualifies — professional services >20%, certain shareholdings, etc. are excluded.
Registration via SARS Online Query System. Thresholds from 1 April 2026: up to R2.3m qualifies.
George Herald