Lessons learnt from the 2026 Financial Year and how Trusteeze can assist you during the 2027 Financial Year - 3 March 2026

As the 2026 tax year concludes, one thing is clear: compliance is becoming more challenging. The days when trusts could be managed carelessly are gone. Trust service providers still spend countless hours trying to ensure compliance; in many cases, they do so unlawfully by retrospectively creating compliance documents such as resolutions and minutes of meetings. And what is worse, they cannot charge for their efforts! Although it remains the trustees’ duty, it often becomes your problem, and you may be blamed for non-compliance, which could harm your reputation. 

For example:

• Have you possessed accurate, up-to-date information before the end of February 2026 to perform the necessary calculations and correctly advise trustees of funders who are automatically liable for tax on trust income and capital gains, and what planning opportunities remain afterwards?
• Have you assisted trustees in completing the necessary vesting (distribution) resolutions prior to the end of February 2026?
• Have you assisted trustees in timely notifying donors and funders (in accordance with the attribution rules) as well as beneficiaries so they could record relevant amounts on their provisional tax returns and make provisions for this cash requirement? Have the correct amounts been included in the trusts’ provisional tax returns, and have they been paid on time?
• Was the necessary information available to help trustees timeously inform funders so they could pay their Section 7C Donations Tax by 31 March 2026? In many instances, funders would have to arrange for cash to be available before then. The following is required to meet this legal requirement:Section 7C loan balances must be recorded on a day-to-day basis, as you cannot just use a year-end or another balance.
  • Interest must be calculated daily at the prevailing official rate, and if the rate changes, the new rate should be applied from the following month.
  • Deemed donations should be properly determined.
  • IT144 returns should be submitted if relevant.
  • Donations tax should be paid if relevant.

We can help you do this more intelligently and with less effort, keeping trusts’ books updated in real time and enabling you to assist trustees in meeting their legal obligations efficiently and cost-effectively.

In many cases, trust work makes up 20% of service providers’ income but accounts for 80% of their risk. Trying to manage this manually or using scattered systems is simply not sustainable.

A Better Way to Manage Trust Compliance

At Trusteeze, we believe compliance shouldn’t feel like a constant uphill battle.

That’s why we’ve built a system designed specifically to help you:

1. Centralise all client, trust, and financial information
2. Keep accurate, up-to-date records in one place
3. Have access to pre-populated resolutions in alignment with the trust deed
4. Communicate with staff and clients in one place
5. Assist clients to remain compliant on all fronts, including the Master and SARS
6. Have oversight on outstanding matters on a dashboard
7. Stay on top of deadlines without last-minute pressure
8. Reduce risk while improving efficiency
9. Remain cost-effective

In short: less chaos, more control. Take back control in the 2027 financial year!

Don’t carry 2026’s tax year challenges into the 2027 one. Take control now, contact us to sign up with Trusteeze.

Warm regards,

The Trusteeze Team

The 2026 financial year may have been a beast… but with Trusteeze, the 2027 financial year can be a beauty.