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Managing Provisional Tax

How to use the Beam Machine provisional tax screen to track IRP6 periods, capture estimates, review due dates, and understand where SARS filing still happens outside the app.

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Managing Provisional Tax

This page shows you how to use the Beam Machine provisional tax workspace to track IRP6 periods, record estimates, and spot risk without pretending the screen is already a complete SARS filing engine.

Product: Beam Machine
Module: Tax -> Provisional Tax
Role: Accountant, Tax Preparer, Finance Lead, Reviewer
Difficulty: Intermediate
Time: 10 minutes first read, 3 to 6 minutes per review cycle
Last Updated: 2026-03-10
Version: Current Beam Machine app build in this repo

Before You Start

  • You need access to Tax.
  • You need to know the relevant year of assessment and IRP6 period.
  • You should have the latest estimate of taxable income ready.
  • You should know that the create form and estimator use different units in the current UI.

What is provisional tax?

Provisional tax is not a separate tax. It is the system SARS uses to collect income tax in advance so the taxpayer does not face one giant payment later.

In Beam Machine, the Provisional Tax screen is a tracking and estimate workspace. It helps you manage:

  • first, second, and third periods
  • due dates
  • estimated taxable income
  • estimated tax
  • and under-estimation penalty risk

When do you use this?

Use this screen when the next IRP6 period is opening, when you need to refresh your estimate, or when you need to check whether your estimate looks dangerously low.

SARS currently says the first provisional payment is due within six months of the start of the year of assessment, the second by the last business day of the year of assessment, and the third top-up payment is optional after year end.

Where to find it

Primary path: Finance -> Tax -> Provisional Tax
Route: /dashboard/tax/provisional

How to work in the provisional tax screen

Review the status cards first

  1. Open Tax.
  2. Click Provisional Tax.
  3. Review the four cards at the top:
    • Pending Submissions
    • Due Within 30 Days
    • At Penalty Risk
    • Total Est. Tax

āœ… Checkpoint: You should immediately know whether the problem is volume, urgency, or under-estimation risk.

Create a provisional tax period

  1. In Create Provisional Tax Period, enter the Tax Year.
  2. Select the Period:
    • First Period (IRP6)
    • Second Period (IRP6)
    • Third Period (voluntary top-up)
  3. Enter the Due Date.
  4. Enter Estimated Taxable Income (cents).
  5. Click Create Provisional Tax Period.

āœ… Checkpoint: The new period should appear in the Provisional Tax Periods table.

Use the penalty estimator

  1. In Penalty Risk Estimator, enter Estimated Taxable Income (rands).
  2. Enter Your Estimated Tax (rands, optional).
  3. Click Calculate Penalty Risk.
  4. Review the result block:
    • Calculated Provisional Tax
    • Estimated Penalty, if any
    • the safe or at-risk message

Review the periods table

  1. In Provisional Tax Periods, review:
    • Tax Year
    • Period
    • Due Date
    • Est. Taxable Income
    • Est. Tax
    • Penalty Risk
    • Penalty Est.
    • Status
  2. Treat amber due-date warnings and destructive penalty warnings as escalation items, not background noise.

Important BM scope notes

  • The current create form expects estimated taxable income in cents.
  • The current penalty estimator expects income and tax in rands.
  • The current route does not show a full IRP6 submission form or a proven direct SARS submission flow.
  • Treat this screen as a control and estimate workspace. Final IRP6 filing and final taxpayer-specific judgement still happen through your SARS channel and tax review process.

Common Questions & Issues

"I typed 500000 and the period value looks wrong"

Why this happens: The create form expects cents, not rands.

Fix: Enter 50000000 for R500,000 in the create form. Use the penalty estimator if you want to work in rands.

"The penalty estimator says I am at risk"

Why this happens: Your estimated tax appears too low against the calculation BM is using for the scenario.

Fix: Revisit the estimate, supporting assumptions, and SARS rules for that taxpayer before submission. Do not guess your way out of a warning.

"I created the period, but I still cannot actually file from here"

Why this happens: The BM screen is a management workspace, not a full SARS IRP6 filing surface.

Fix: Use BM for tracking and support, then complete the real filing through the applicable SARS process.

"Why is the app so careful about tax advice here?"

Why this happens: Provisional tax rules differ by taxpayer facts, year-end, income profile, and final assessment.

Fix: Use the screen for control and visibility, but keep tax judgement and filing sign-off with the responsible finance or tax reviewer.

What's Next

Related Pages

SA Compliance Reference

Still Stuck?

  • Escalate if the visible form does not match the data you need to capture.
  • Use ../99-functionality-gap-map.md if your team expects broader provisional automation than the current route shows.
  • Contact support: support@veva.co.za

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