Brendmo Chartered Accountants

Employee Incentives That Really Work for Small Businesses

“Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.” (Stephen R. Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People) Small businesses often lose their talent to large companies simply because they can’t afford the kinds of salaries and incentives on offer at a…
Read More

SARS Admin Penalties: What Taxpayers Can Do

“…imposing administrative non-compliance penalties is to ensure the widest possible compliance with the provisions of a Tax Act … they are imposed impartially, consistently and proportionately to the seriousness and duration of the non-compliance.” (SARS) The Tax Administration Act stipulates that SARS can issue administrative penalties for outstanding tax returns. In previous…
Read More

The Hidden Costs of Starting a Business

“There are only two things in a business that make money – innovation and marketing, everything else is cost” (Peter Drucker, author) Running a business is never cheap and starting one up may be one of the most expensive things you ever do. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration,…
Read More

Dispute with SARS? Here are the New Rules…

“The importance of the ability of taxpayers to challenge the legality of actions and decisions within the tax system is internationally recognised.” (Taxpayers’ Rights: Theory, Origin and Implementation) In South Africa, taxpayers have the right to dispute tax assessments, interest, late payment penalties, and administrative penalties for various taxes, including Personal…
Read More

The Risky New Trust Landscape – What Trustees Need to do Now

“The common assumption is that trusts are some kind of tax panacea…Then, conversely, from a South African Revenue Service (SARS) perspective, trusts are viewed with a degree of suspicion and mistrust. [T]he truth lies somewhere between these positions.” (Broomberg on Tax Strategy) The legal and tax landscape in which South…
Read More

Tips for Pacing Business Growth for Sustainability

“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together” – (James Cash Penney, Founder of JCPenney) Every business decision carries profound consequences for the enduring existence of the organisation, and this is no more true than when it is applied to those decisions affecting business…
Read More

Why the Four-Day Working Week Just Might Happen

“We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to-do’ list.” (Michelle Obama, former First Lady of the United States) The four-day work week has been in the news a lot recently with a number of significant studies and trials coming out in favour of the…
Read More

Don’t Fall Prey to the Most Common Cybercrimes!

“The bottom line is that cyber risks sit right alongside rising systemic risks, and is the biggest emerging, and constantly evolving risk facing businesses today.” (SHA Specialist Risk Review 2022) In Africa, Interpol has identified phishing – particularly Business Email Compromise (BEC) – as well as online scams, as both…
Read More

Using a “Risk Matrix” to Risk-Proof Your Business

“Don’t be fearful of risks. Understand them, and manage and minimize them to an acceptable level.” (Naved Abdali, Financial journalist and author) Managing risk in your business is absolutely critical for developing it to success. Knowing exactly which threats are really relevant and which will help any leader to develop…
Read More

Common Tax-Related Criminal Offences, and How to Avoid Them…

“The difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion is the thickness of a prison wall.” (Denis Healey, former British prime minister)     Section 234 in Chapter 17 of the Tax Administration Act (TAA) sets out a list of criminal tax offences. If prosecuted and convicted of a tax criminal offence, taxpayers…
Read More