New legislation for marriages on the way
Being a person’s spouse could have varying tax consequences, particularly where they are married in community of property. Currently, for income tax purposes, you are deemed to be a person’s spouse in the following instances: (a) A person who is in a marriage or customary union recognised in terms of the laws of the Republic; (b) A person who […]
Tax deductions for home offices
Tax practitioners have been inundated with queries from clients on the possible relief offered by the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”) on the possibility of deducting from their taxable income home office expenses due to the shift in working policies by many employers. SARS recently hosted a webinar on the matter (the summary of which […]
Tax invoices revisited
All value-added tax (VAT) vendors that have gone through a VAT verification from the South African Revenue Service know how frustrating the delays on input VAT refunds can be when supporting documents do not meet the requirements for a valid tax invoice. Below, we revisit some of the necessary key elements to ensure proper compliance in this regard. The […]
Tourvest VS SARS: VAT exemption concerns
On 25 May 2021, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) upheld an appeal by the Commissioner for the South African Revenue Services (“SARS”) against Tourvest Financial Services (Pty) Ltd (“Tourvest”), a licensed dealer in foreign exchange, concerning its value-added tax (“VAT”) liability. The judgement sets very clear guidelines on when apportionment for VAT inputs must be made, where vendors produce both taxable and exempt supplies. […]
Tax neutral liquidation distributions
The Income Tax Act contains various provisions in terms of which transactions can occur between specified parties without adverse tax consequences being incurred in respect of those transactions. These provisions are contained in sections 41 to 47 of the Income Tax Act and are generally known as the “group relief provisions”. Apart from certain value-shifting and general anti-avoidance provisions, the group relief […]
Should you pay tax on refundable deposits?
The South African Revenue Service recently published a new Interpretation Note relating to the taxation of deposits. In the ordinary course of business, taxpayers may receive money in advance in the form of deposits related to goods or services to be delivered or rendered at a future date. Having regard to the definition of “gross income”, […]