If you run a business, hustle on the side, or earn money outside of a salary, you’ve probably heard the words Income Tax and Provisional Tax — and many people confuse the two.
Let’s break them down in the simplest way possible:
1️⃣ What is Income Tax?
Income tax is the tax you pay to SARS on the money you earn in a year.
Everyone who earns an income may need to pay this tax, depending on how much they earn.
Who pays Income Tax?
- Employees (your employer deducts PAYE)
- Sole proprietors
- Freelancers
- Company directors
- Business owners
- Creators, traders, hustlers, etc.
How it works:
- You earn income
- You declare it to SARS on your annual tax return (ITR12)
- SARS calculates how much tax you owe or how much refund you should get
Easy.
2️⃣ What is Provisional Tax?
Provisional Tax is NOT a separate tax.
It is simply a way of paying your income tax in advance during the year.
SARS created provisional tax to help people who don’t have an employer deducting PAYE for them.
Who pays Provisional Tax?
Anyone who earns income that is not taxed monthly, like:
- Sole proprietors
- Freelancers
- Taxi owners
- Creators & influencers
- Traders (forex/crypto/business)
- Independent contractors
- People earning rental income
If you earn more than R30,000 per year from this type of income, SARS expects you to register as a Provisional Taxpayer.
3️⃣ Key Difference (Super Simple)
Income Tax
You pay once a year when you file your tax return.
Provisional Tax
You pay twice a year (plus possible third payment) in advance, to cover your income tax.
4️⃣ How Provisional Tax Works (in 20 seconds)
You’re required to make payments:
- 1st Payment: August
- 2nd Payment: February
- Optional 3rd Payment: September (top-up if needed)
This prevents a huge tax bill at the end of the year.
5️⃣ A Simple Analogy
💡 Employees have PAYE
SARS takes tax monthly — nice and simple.
💡 Business owners have Provisional Tax
You take responsibility for paying tax throughout the year.
Same tax, different payment method.
6️⃣ Why Provisional Tax Matters
If you don’t pay provisional tax on time:
- You get penalties
- You get interest
- You risk audits
- You end up with a huge unexpected tax bill
SARS does NOT play when it comes to non-compliance.
Quick Summary
| Income Tax | Provisional Tax |
|---|---|
| Paid once a year | Paid twice a year (Aug & Feb) |
| For everyone | For people earning business/trade income |
| Based on your annual income | A pre-payment toward your income tax |
| SARS calculates final amount | You estimate your income for the year |
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