Analysing tax exemption for dividends
Dividends are a valuable part of many shareholders’ income, but even though they are exempt from regular income tax, it does not mean that they are completely exempt from tax. A dividend can be defined as any local or foreign dividend paid by a resident company of South Africa or a foreign country, provided that the […]
How will the 2022 Budget changes affect you?
The annual National Budget Speech was delivered on 23 February 2022 by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana. Practitioners are getting to grips with some of the more pertinent changes that will become a reality for taxpayers, particularly in the individuals, employment and savings areas. Reviewing the timing of accrual and incurral of variable remuneration Section 7B […]
Transfer of assets between spouses: what are the tax implications?
Section 9HB of the Income Tax Act provides for a roll-over of a capital gain or loss when an asset is transferred between spouses during their lifetimes. The roll-over is mandatory, and spouses do not have the option to elect out of it. The policy rationale for the roll-over is that the transferor spouse must benefit […]
VAT: Special dispensation for motor dealers expired
Motor dealers may in certain instances pay an amount to a customer for a second-hand vehicle over the generally accepted trade-in market value reflected in the Auto Dealers’ Guide (motor dealers usually determine the market value of second-hand vehicles according to a publication known as the “Auto Dealers’ Guide”). The difference between this value and […]
Who qualifies for a special trust and how is it taxed?
Unlike “conventional trusts” that are taxed at a flat tax rate, a special trust is taxed on the same sliding scale applicable to natural persons. The Income Tax Act provides for two types of special trusts: a so-called type-A and type-B trust. In essence, a type-A trust is created for a person (or persons) having […]
Disputing SARS decision and assessments
A taxpayer who is aggrieved by an assessment or decision of SARS against that taxpayer has the right to dispute that assessment or decision. If an original assessment has not been issued, SARS may request a taxpayer to submit an amended return to correct an undisputed error made in the prior return. In the case […]
Barter transactions: What is the tax cost of my asset?
Barter transactions are commonplace in today’s commercial environment. Parties exchange goods or services without a cash transaction underpinning it. The question is, “What happens when I sell the asset in future? Do I have a tax cost for it?” Paragraph 20(1)(a) of the Eighth Schedule to the Income Tax Act refers to ‘the expenditure actually incurred in respect of the cost […]
Transfer of assets between spouses: what are the tax implications?
Section 9HB of the Income Tax Act provides for a roll-over of a capital gain or loss when an asset is transferred between spouses during their lifetimes. The roll-over is mandatory, and spouses do not have the option to elect out of it. The policy rationale for the roll-over is that the transferor spouse must benefit […]
More time to benefit from the learnership tax incentive
The Learnership Tax Incentive, which was introduced in the Income Tax Act on 1 October 2001, is a programme that supports skills intensity through the tax system. To encourage skills development and job creation, the Learnership Tax Incentive provides employers with an additional tax deduction over and above the normal deduction on remuneration. The additional […]
Balancing your business’s losses and taxes
In line with the 2020 Budget Announcement, Government proposes to broaden the corporate income tax base by restricting the offset of the balance of assessed losses carried forward to 80% of taxable income. The proposal extends to the balance of assessed losses at the time of implementation, i.e. it is not only the accumulation of losses starting […]