How to check a practitioner handles IRP6 estimates properly
Verify your tax practitioner's IRP6 estimate approach with direct questions, registration checks, written reasoning, client references and industry knowledge.
Most practitioners who handle IRP6 estimates get them right, but the ones who don't cost you dearly—in penalties, cash-flow shocks, or late notices. Here's how to verify a tax practitioner actually knows what they're doing with provisional tax before you hand over your figures.
Ask directly about their last three estimates
When you ask a practitioner how they approach IRP6 estimates, listen for specifics. They should describe their process: how they gather your prior-year numbers, which months they look at, whether they adjust for seasonal income, and how they sanity-check the result. A vague answer—"We just use your last return" or "We assess what seems reasonable"—is a yellow flag. Ask them to walk you through a real example from another client (without naming names). If they hesitate or give a generic answer, move on. A confident practitioner will explain the logic: whether they're using the prior year as a base, adding a growth percentage, or doing a month-by-month build-up. They should also tell you what documents they'll need from you and when.
Verify their tax practitioner status
Check the SACSSP (South African Council for Social Services Professions) register or ask your practitioner for their practitioner number if they're registered. If they're a chartered accountant, ask for their SAICA membership or CA(SA) designation and confirm it directly with SAICA. If they work for a firm, the firm should have a registration number too. Request this upfront and verify it independently—don't just take their word. You can also ask SARS directly whether a practitioner is registered to lodge returns on your behalf, which you can confirm when you authorise them. Any evasiveness here is a serious concern.
Request a written estimate with reasoning
Before they submit anything to SARS, ask the practitioner to provide you with a written estimate document that shows the figure they've arrived at and explains the method briefly. It doesn't need to be a 20-page analysis, but it should say something like "Based on your income for the 2023 tax year (R X), adjusted for the Z% growth you've projected, we estimate your 2024 provisional tax at R Y." This document serves two purposes: it gives you a chance to catch obvious errors or misunderstandings about your business before SARS sees anything, and it creates a paper trail if problems arise later. If the practitioner resists putting it in writing, that's a sign they're not confident in their logic.
Check their reference list and follow up
Ask for the contact details of three to five other small-business clients they've handled IRP6 estimates for. Call them directly—don't rely on email. Ask whether the estimate was realistic, whether they were surprised by it, whether SARS accepted it, and whether there were any disputes or corrections needed. A practitioner worth hiring will have clients willing to vouch for them. If they can't or won't provide references, assume they haven't done this work reliably before. Pay special attention to whether their other clients' estimates held up through an assessment or triggered queries from SARS—that's the real test of competence.
Look for signs they understand your industry
Seasonal businesses, contract work, and income that varies month-to-month need different handling than stable salaries. Your practitioner should ask about your income pattern and acknowledge whether it's predictable or volatile. If you mention you do most of your turnover in four months of the year and they nod and move on, they're not thinking it through. They should ask follow-up questions: Are you sure that pattern will hold? Have you won any large new contracts? Is there a gap year between projects? This curiosity matters because IRP6 estimates that ignore the shape of your actual business often go wrong.
Once you've confirmed these details, you'll have a much clearer picture of who you're trusting with your provisional tax. Strove connects you with verified tax practitioners in your area—check their profiles, read what other small-business owners say, and use these checks as your conversation starters during the vetting call.
Common questions
- Can I verify a tax practitioner's credentials myself?
- Yes. If they're registered, you can ask for their SACSSP practitioner number or SAICA membership and verify it directly with those bodies. You can also ask SARS whether they're authorised to lodge returns on your behalf. Any practitioner should be comfortable providing these details upfront.
- What should I ask about their previous IRP6 estimates?
- Ask them to walk you through their process using a real example (anonymised). They should explain how they use your prior-year figures, whether they adjust for growth or seasonal patterns, and what documents they need from you. If they can't give a clear answer, that's a warning sign.
- Why does it matter if they put the estimate in writing?
- A written estimate with reasoning lets you catch errors before SARS sees anything, and it creates a record of their method. If problems arise later, it proves what assumptions were made and why. Practitioners who won't do this aren't confident in their work.
- What should I ask their previous clients?
- Ask whether the estimate felt realistic, whether SARS accepted it without queries, and whether any corrections were needed later. Call them directly rather than relying on email, and focus on whether their estimates have actually held up in practice.
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