Welcome to De Bruyn Daly Chartered Accountants

The Profit First business model flips a century-old accounting formula on its head. Instead of Sales minus Expenses equals Profit, small business owners take their profit first and let expenses shrink to fit what remains. Created by entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz, the system uses multiple bank accounts and fixed percentages to force discipline. For struggling entrepreneurs drowning in overheads, this counterintuitive approach may be the key to lasting financial control.

SARS has confirmed that tax filing season for Trusts opened on 19 September 2026, with the closing date set for 22 January 2027. This year brings important enhancements to the ITR12T trust return which takes place against the backdrop of SARS’s administrative non-compliance penalty framework for trusts, which came into effect on 4 May 2026 and applies to outstanding trust income tax returns for tax periods from 2024 onwards. Trustees remain accountable for all trust tax matters, regardless of economic activity, so please read this article carefully.

International Accounting Day, observed on 10 November, marks the date Luca Pacioli, the Father of Modern Accounting, published the first detailed description of double-entry bookkeeping in 1494. This day recognises the indispensable role accountants play in supporting businesses and economies worldwide: from ensuring compliance and managing cash flow to enabling strategic growth and detecting fraud.

Cash was supposed to be on its deathbed. Instead, notes and coins are still changing hands every day, from spaza shops and taxis to supermarkets and small businesses.
Digital payments are growing rapidly, but the latest data shows that cash remains deeply embedded in Mzansi’s economy. So why has the cashless future taken so long to arrive?

We are receiving more and more complaints, often from highly-distressed taxpayers, who are forwarding emails, SMSs and WhatsApp messages that appear to be from SARS, but are in fact scams. Increasingly convincing, these messages are causing unnecessary distress and raising the risk of being scammed. Here’s a timely Cybersecurity Awareness Month refresher on how to spot a SARS scam and what to do if you receive one. Our top suggestion? Simply check in with our team for peace of mind.

Small businesses can’t match the paychecks that big corporations dangle in front of job candidates, but they don’t always have to. There are many different ways to entice the best candidates that money can’t buy and which smaller employers are uniquely positioned to activate. This article gives eight practical, low-cost strategies owners can use to attract and keep great people.

For South African business owners, selling to your employees can offer something a traditional buyer often cannot: a lasting legacy. Through employee share ownership schemes, broad-based trusts and B-BBEE ownership structures, founders can reward loyal staff, preserve their company’s culture and create a structured exit. Success, however, depends on getting the financial, tax and legal foundations right. Here’s how to do it.

SARS has strict rules regarding entertainment expenses for both income tax deductions and VAT, and a claim for entertainment expenses will likely be flagged for investigation by SARS. This is why it’s crucial to have a solid understanding of what can and can’t be claimed. We encourage you to rely on our expert oversight before claiming. This is the best way of ensuring your tax position is verified and you have adequate proof that the claims are for legitimate business expenses.

Wish you could pay less tax? The 2026 tax filing season is in full swing, with individual non-provisional taxpayers facing a 23 October 2026 deadline, while trusts and individual provisional taxpayers have until 22 January 2027 to ensure they have made use of every applicable tax rebate and deduction. Our tax team checks and applies every tax rebate and deduction possible for every individual and business, making sure that while you remain 100% compliant, you don’t pay a cent more tax than you should!

Most business owners think their personal will has the business covered too, but that’s usually not the case. The term “business will” refers colloquially to a specialised directive, such as a shareholder’s agreement, a buy-and-sell agreement or a succession plan, that gives guidance on what should happen to your business when you (or other partners or shareholders) are no longer there. Without a regularly updated “business will”, the business you spent decades building can unravel in months.