1️⃣ Claim All Allowable Business Expenses

Many businesses overpay tax simply because they don’t claim everything they’re entitled to.

Typical deductible expenses include:

• Office rent or home-office costs

• Accounting, tax and legal fees

• Phone and Wi-Fi

• Travel and vehicle expenses

• Employee salaries and wages

• Business equipment and tools

• Software and cloud subscriptions

• Marketing and advertising

Proper record-keeping is key. The more accurate your records, the more deductions you can legitimately claim.

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2️⃣ Use Wear-and-Tear (Depreciation) Deductions

SARS allows depreciation on qualifying assets such as:

• Computers & laptops

• Office furniture

• Machinery

• Vehicles

• Tools & equipment

Depreciation reduces your taxable income and helps reflect the true cost of operating your business.

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3️⃣ Keep Business and Personal Finances Separate

When business and personal expenses are mixed, SARS may disallow claims — even if they were legitimate.

Use a dedicated business bank account so you can:

• Track expenses more easily

• Claim correctly

• Stay compliant during audits

• Maintain clean financial records

This simple change can save you money and reduce risk dramatically.

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4️⃣ Take Advantage of Small Business Corporation (SBC) Tax Benefits

If your business qualifies as an SBC, you may access powerful tax benefits, including:

• Lower corporate tax rates

• Accelerated asset write-offs

• Immediate deductions on certain assets

This can significantly reduce your tax payable — especially for growing SMEs.

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5️⃣ Do Mid-Year Tax Planning to Avoid Last-Minute Mistakes

Last-minute filing often leads to missed deductions and unnecessary tax payments.

Mid-year reviews help you:

• Identify missing expenses

• Ensure correct documentation

• Prepare for provisional tax deadlines

• Estimate cash flow more accurately

• Reduce penalties and interest

Proactive planning is one of the easiest ways to legally lower your tax bill.

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Need Help Saving Tax in 2025?

Green Leaf Accounting (Pty) Ltd assists South African businesses with:

• Tax returns (company & personal)

• VAT submissions

• Payroll & PAYE

• Monthly accounting

• Annual financial statements

• Business advisory and budgeting

• SARS disputes & compliance

📧 info@greenleafaccountants.co.za
📍 Based in Meyerton | Serving clients nationwide via cloud accounting

Start 2026 with a stronger financial plan — and keep more of your hard-earned profit.