Zen Accountants

Zen Accountants We help South African business owners achieve clarity, compliance, and balance in their finances.

Monday. That is it.One correction before the weekend: filing the IRP6 is not the same as paying it. A submitted return w...
28/08/2026

Monday. That is it.

One correction before the weekend: filing the IRP6 is not the same as paying it. A submitted return with no payment behind it still runs interest.

So today, do both. Allow for banking time so the payment reflects on or before Monday 31 August, and keep the proof of payment with your records.

And while you are in there: if you are a salaried taxpayer, your 2026 income tax return is still due by 23 October. Do not leave that one for October either.

Need it done? zenaccountants.co.za

Six days to the provisional tax deadline. Send us six things and we will handle the rest:1. Your figures to 31 July.2. E...
25/08/2026

Six days to the provisional tax deadline. Send us six things and we will handle the rest:

1. Your figures to 31 July.
2. Expected income for the rest of the year, to end February 2027.
3. Rental income and property expenses.
4. Your last SARS assessment, for the basic amount.
5. PAYE already deducted this year.
6. Anything unusual: an asset sold, a large contract won, a change in circumstances.

That is it. Send it today and we file with room to spare, rather than at 16:00 on the 31st.

[email protected] or zenaccountants.co.za

Contractors: your books show the job as invoiced. The client is holding 10% retention for six months. SARS taxes the pro...
20/08/2026

Contractors: your books show the job as invoiced. The client is holding 10% retention for six months. SARS taxes the profit either way.

That is how a builder ends up paying provisional tax on money still sitting in someone else's account.

Before 31 August, three things need a proper look:

1. Retentions held, and when they are actually due.
2. Work in progress and uncertified work sitting in your numbers.
3. Stage invoicing that has recognised profit early.

Get those right and your estimate reflects the business you are actually running.

zenaccountants.co.za

31 August is month end. Salaries, rent, suppliers and your provisional tax payment all land in the same few days.For a r...
18/08/2026

31 August is month end. Salaries, rent, suppliers and your provisional tax payment all land in the same few days.

For a restaurant or a shop, that is the week the float gets raided and the supplier gets pushed out. It does not have to be.

Three steps, starting today:

1. Work out the actual number this week, not on the 30th.
2. Ring fence it in a separate account so it is not spent on stock.
3. Pay by Thursday 27 August so it clears before the deadline.

We do steps one and three. You will only feel step two.

zenaccountants.co.za

Provisional tax is built on an estimate, and SARS charges you for getting that estimate badly wrong.How the accuracy tes...
17/08/2026

Provisional tax is built on an estimate, and SARS charges you for getting that estimate badly wrong.

How the accuracy test works:

Taxable income of R1 million or less: your estimate must reach at least 90% of your actual taxable income, or match your basic amount from your last assessment.

Taxable income above R1 million: your estimate must reach at least 80% of the actual figure, with no basic amount safety net.

Miss it and SARS levies a 20% under estimation penalty on the shortfall, with interest on top.

The penalty is raised on your second estimate in February, but the guessing habit starts in August. Start this one with real figures.

zenaccountants.co.za

This Women's Month we are not posting a quote.We are backing the women who sign the invoices, carry the payroll, chase t...
14/08/2026

This Women's Month we are not posting a quote.

We are backing the women who sign the invoices, carry the payroll, chase the debtors and still make the deadline. Many of them are our clients, and the thing they ask us for is not motivation. It is clean numbers and a straight answer.

Balance is not a mood. It is a number, and it should be one you can trust.

To every woman running a business in this country: we value your balance.

zenaccountants.co.za

Nobody sends you a letter to say you have become a provisional taxpayer. The obligation just starts.Check yourself again...
13/08/2026

Nobody sends you a letter to say you have become a provisional taxpayer. The obligation just starts.

Check yourself against this list:

1. You rent out a property.
2. You freelance, consult or run a side hustle.
3. You trade as a sole proprietor.
4. You take director fees, not only a salary.
5. Your interest or investment income is above the SARS threshold.

One line applies? Then 31 August applies to you, and an IRP6 return is due.

Not sure where you stand? Send us a message and we will check your SARS profile for you.

zenaccountants.co.za

Half of this year's income tax is due in one payment on Monday 31 August.That is the first provisional tax payment for t...
12/08/2026

Half of this year's income tax is due in one payment on Monday 31 August.

That is the first provisional tax payment for the 2027 tax year, and it applies to far more people than expect it. Rent out a property? Freelance on the side? Trade as a sole proprietor? Take director fees? You are in.

The amount you pay is based on an estimate of your full year taxable income. Get the estimate right and the payment is predictable. Guess it, and you either hand SARS cash you needed, or you set yourself up for a penalty later.

We calculate it properly, file the IRP6, and tell you the number early enough to plan for it.

Book a slot before the deadline week fills up: zenaccountants.co.za

If you run a business, no friendly SMS from SARS is coming to do your tax for you.Auto assessment is built for people wi...
30/07/2026

If you run a business, no friendly SMS from SARS is coming to do your tax for you.

Auto assessment is built for people with simple, salaried tax. The moment you own a business or earn rental or freelance income, you become a provisional taxpayer. That means you file yourself, and you pay tax in advance based on an estimate.

Yes, you have until 22 January next year. But provisional tax runs on guesses, and a wrong guess comes with penalties and interest. Leaving it for later is exactly how a quiet tax bill turns into a cash flow shock.

The owners who sleep well are the ones who treat this as a rhythm, not a once a year panic.

We help growing businesses get ahead of it. Start with a free Growth Numbers Review. Link below:

https://zenaccountants.co.za/accounting-for-smes/

Your sales are up. Your bank account is not. Where did the money go?For most shops and online stores, it is hiding in th...
28/07/2026

Your sales are up. Your bank account is not. Where did the money go?

For most shops and online stores, it is hiding in three places:
1. Stock. Cash you turned into product that is sitting on a shelf instead of in the bank.
2. Payouts and fees. Every channel takes its cut, and if you never reconcile them, the real number is a mystery.
3. VAT across channels. Easy to get wrong when you sell in more than one place.

The topline feels great and tells you almost nothing. Your real profit lives per channel and per product, and that is where the answer is.

You count the stock. We will count everything else. Free Profit and Stock Review, link below:

https://zenaccountants.co.za/accounting-for-retail-and-ecommerce/

Address

687 Silver Lakes Road, Hazeldean Office Park
Pretoria
0184

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00

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