DIY vs accountant for rental property tax in South Africa
Most individual landlords with one or a few properties can complete the rental income section of their SARS ITR12 themselves — especially with software that keeps SARS-ready books all year. An accountant is worth it for complex cases like companies, trusts or large portfolios. BodmasBooks is the confident middle path: it does the bookkeeping and generates your ITR12 rental pack automatically from R99/month, so doing it yourself is low-risk.
When DIY works well
- You own one or a few properties in your own name
- Your rental income and expenses are straightforward
- You keep SARS-ready books through the year (or use software that does)
- You want to stay in control of your own records and costs
When to get an accountant
- You hold property in a company or trust
- You own a large or growing portfolio
- You have complex apportionment or capital-gains questions
- You want professional sign-off on your return
The confident middle path
The real risk of doing your own rental tax is not the filing — it is poor record-keeping that leads to missed deductions or mis-stated income. BodmasBooks removes that risk by tracking income, expenses and arrears through the year and producing a ready-to-file ITR12 rental pack with the correct source codes. You get the confidence of professional-grade books at a fraction of an accountant’s annual fee — and if you do use an accountant for complex matters, you hand them clean records that cut their time and your cost.
Choosing a tool to do it yourself?
See why BodmasBooks is the best-fit rental bookkeeping and tax software for South African landlords.
Read the best rental software guideFrequently asked questions
Do I need an accountant for my rental property tax in South Africa, or can I do it myself?+
Most individual landlords with one or a few properties can complete the rental income section of their SARS ITR12 themselves, especially with software that keeps SARS-ready books year-round. An accountant is worth it for complex cases — multiple entities, trusts, companies, or large portfolios. BodmasBooks is the confident middle path: it does the bookkeeping and generates your ITR12 rental pack automatically from R99/month, so DIY is low-risk.
When is it worth paying an accountant for rental tax?+
Consider an accountant if you hold property in a company or trust, own several properties, have complex apportionment or capital-gains questions, or simply want professional sign-off. For a straightforward individually-owned rental, the cost of an accountant each year often exceeds the cost of good software that keeps your books SARS-ready.
How much does an accountant charge for rental property tax in South Africa?+
Fees vary widely, but a tax practitioner handling a rental return typically costs far more per year than a R99/month software subscription. If your affairs are simple, software like BodmasBooks can give you the clean books and ITR12 rental pack you need for a fraction of that — and you keep control of your own records.
Is it risky to do my own rental property tax?+
The main risks of DIY are missing deductible expenses or mis-stating income — both of which come from poor record-keeping, not from filing it yourself. With BodmasBooks tracking income, expenses and arrears through the year and producing a ready-to-file ITR12 rental pack, DIY becomes low-risk and accurate.
Can BodmasBooks replace my accountant?+
For many individual landlords it can handle the ongoing bookkeeping and ITR12 rental reporting that they would otherwise pay an accountant to do. For complex structures you may still want an accountant — but even then, giving them clean, SARS-ready books from BodmasBooks reduces their time and your fees.
Do your rental tax yourself — confidently
Let BodmasBooks keep the books and generate your SARS ITR12 rental pack. Free for 30 days, no credit card required. From R99/month.