Answer grounded in published legislation
Your question
How long before debt is written off? Having an account.
An ordinary account debt generally prescribes after three years, unless another Act provides otherwise or the debt falls into a category with a longer period. Prescription extinguishes the debt, but payment made after prescription is still treated as payment of a debt. 35
The three-year period can restart if you expressly or tacitly acknowledge liability, for example by admitting that you owe it. It can also be interrupted when the creditor serves legal process claiming payment, subject to the creditor successfully pursuing the claim as required by the Act. 12
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Where this answer comes from
Prescription Act 68 of 1969
(1) The running of prescription shall be interrupted by an express or tacit acknowledgement of liability by the debtor. (2) If the running of prescription is interrupted as contemplated in subsection (1), prescription shall commence to run afresh from the day on which the interruption takes place or, if at the time of the interruption or at any time thereafter the parties postpone the due date of the debt, from the date upon which the debt again becomes due.
Prescription Act 68 of 1969
(1) The running of prescription shall, subject to the provisions of subsection (2), be interrupted by the service on the debtor of any process whereby the creditor claims payment of the debt. (2) Unless the debtor acknowledges liability, the interruption of prescription in terms of subsection (1) shall lapse, and the running of prescription shall not be deemed to have been interrupted, if the creditor does not successfully prosecute his claim under the process in question to final judgment or if he does so prosecute his claim but abandons the judgment or the judgment is set aside. (3) If the running of prescription is interrupted as contemplated in subsection (1) and the debtor acknowledges...
Prescription Act 68 of 1969
(1) Subject to the provisions of this Chapter and of Chapter IV, a debt shall be extinguished by prescription after the lapse of the period which in terms of the relevant law applies in respect of the prescription of such debt. (2) By the prescription of a principal debt a subsidiary debt which arose from such principal debt shall also be extinguished by prescription. (3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (1) and (2), payment by the debtor of a debt after it has been extinguished by prescription in terms of either of the said subsections, shall be regarded as payment of a debt. Periods of prescription of debts
Prescription Act 68 of 1969
and (i) the relevant period of prescription would, but for the provisions of this subsection, be completed before or on, or within one year after, the day on which the relevant impediment referred to in paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) or (h) has ceased to exist, the period of prescription shall not be completed before a year has elapsed after the day referred to in paragraph (i). (2) A debt which arises from a contract and which would, but for the provisions of this subsection, become prescribed before a reciprocal debt which arises from the same contract becomes prescribed, shall not become prescribed before the reciprocal debt becomes prescribed.
Prescription Act 68 of 1969
(a) thirty years in respect of - (i) any debt secured by mortgage bond; (ii) any judgment debt; (iii) any debt in respect of any taxation imposed or levied by or under any law; (iv) any debt owed to the State in respect of any share of the profits, royalties or any similar consideration payable in respect of the right to mine minerals or other substances; (b) fifteen years in respect of any debt owed to the State and arising out of an advance or loan of money or a sale or lease of land by the State to the debtor, unless a longer period applies in respect of the debt in question in terms of paragraph (a); (c) six years in respect of a debt arising from a bill of exchange or other negotiable i...
Prescription Act 68 of 1969
14. Interruption of prescription by acknowledgement of liability