Tax residency and deemed disposals

Tax , ,

In 2001, South Africa, like many other countries, introduced capital gains tax aimed at levying capital gains tax on the gain made from the disposal of certain assets. When a South African tax resident company redomiciles abroad and changes its tax residency to another tax jurisdiction, such a company ceases to be a tax resident for South African income tax purposes (regardless of whether the assets of such a company are still located in South Africa or whether the company still continues to do business in South Africa or not).  

Generally, the cessation of South African tax residency is deemed to be a disposal for capital gains tax purposes and triggers capital gains tax. The Act deems the South African tax resident company to have disposed of all its assets for a consideration equal to their market value. As a result, the deemed disposal is subject to CGT at the prevailing tax rates. 

In 2003, South Africa introduced so-called “participation exemptions”, which exempts any foreign dividends declared by non-resident companies to a South African tax resident holding at least 10 per cent of the equity shares and voting rights in such companies from income tax, and includes the exemption from CGT gain on the disposal of equity shares held by a South African tax resident holding a least 10 per cent of the equity shares and voting rights in a non-resident company. The policy rationale for participation exemptions is where a South African tax resident has a meaningful interest in the non-resident company paying the dividend was to encourage capital inflows and to provide an incentive for South African tax residents to repatriate foreign dividends to South Africa. 

The issue 

Government has noticed an increased use of participation exemptions by South African tax resident shareholders. These erode the South African tax base in instances where a South African tax resident company changes its tax residency to another tax jurisdiction and shares in that company are subsequently sold by South African shareholders, which qualify for a participation exemption. Allowing South African resident shareholders to benefit from a participation exemption on disposal of the shares in a non-resident company that was a resident company when the shares were acquired is against the intended purpose of the participation exemption. It was aimed at encouraging capital inflows and to provide an incentive for South African tax residents to repatriate foreign dividends or capital gains back to South Africa on a tax neutral basis. 

Proposed amendments effective 1 January 2021 

It is proposed that changes be made in section 9H of the Act to deem a South African tax resident shareholder who holds shares in a South African tax resident company that changes its tax residency to another tax jurisdiction to be deemed to have disposed of all its assets at market value on the day before it ceased to be a South African tax resident and to have reacquired the assets at market value on the day of the exit. 

It is currently unknown how the Government proposes to monitor compliance in this regard. 

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

Interest on delayed VAT refunds: The “materiality” question

Tax , ,

Section 45 of the Value-Added Tax Act makes provision for the payment of interest on delayed VAT refunds. In terms of section 45(1) of the Act, the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”) must, within 21 business days after the date on which the vendor’s return in respect of a tax period is received, refund the vendor. This is provided that the VAT return is complete and not defective in any material respect.  

The Tax Court recently considered the concept of “materiality” in such cases in the case of ABC Trading CC v the Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service (VAT case no 1712). SARS was liable to refund the vendor an amount of R71 229 183. ABC instituted legal proceedings against SARS in the Johannesburg High Court, applying for an order compelling SARS to pay the refund relating to the second period as well as interest on the outstanding capital refund amount. The interest component came to R3 570 115. Judgement was granted in favour of ABC. 

However, SARS continued with an audit relating to the relevant VAT period and issued a finding that ABC failed to declare deemed output tax on the use of a motor vehicle by its member. The VAT amounted to R200.36 per month, for three months. Based on this deficiency, SARS tried to recall the interest refunded to the taxpayer. ABC objected and appealed SARS’s decision to recall the interest on the basis that the quantum of the output tax relating to fringe benefits (R601,09 in total) was “trifling and clearly immaterial”, and did not constitute “material incompleteness or defectiveness.” 

The question before the court was whether ABC’s failure to declare the output tax on the fringe benefit rendered the returns that ABC had provided “incomplete or defective in any material respect” as provided for in section 45(1)(i) of the Act, and whether SARS’s decision to “write back” the interest by affecting an “adjustment” was justified. To put it differently: Were the jurisdictional factors, i.e. that ABC’s returns were “incomplete or defective in any material aspect”, present for SARS to invoke the provisions of section 45(1)(i)?  

The court found that section 45 is a pragmatic provision not concerned with principle but with materiality. It recognises the fact that vendors may render returns that are incomplete or defective. If it were a matter of principle, then any defective or incomplete return would carry the consequence of SARS not having to pay interest. However, the Legislature, in its wisdom, determined that expedience trumps principle insofar as the payment of interest by SARS is concerned. The court further noted that in relation to one another, the “defect” and the amount owed by SARS is immaterial and the attempt by SARS to rely on the fringe benefit errors is a transparent attempt for SARS to ex post facto wriggle out of its obligations vis-à-vis ABC.  

The important takeaway from the judgement is that SARS is liable for interest on delayed VAT refunds where there are no material deficiencies, and taxpayers should exercise their rights in this regard. 

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

The unfortunate timing of BGR55 for developers

Tax , ,

In terms of the Tax Administration Act, the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”) can issue Binding General Rulings (“BGR“) on matters of general interest or importance and clarifies the Commissioner’s application or interpretation of the tax law relating to these matters. BGR55 (issued on 10 September 2020) clarifies the VAT consequences of the sale of fixed property consisting of dwellings, by a developer, pursuant to such dwellings being deemed to have been supplied by the developer under section 18(1) or 18B(3) of the VAT Act. 

The issue 

As a result of so-called “change in use adjustments” catered for in the VAT Act, property developers that applied their fixed property for letting as a result of adverse economic factors (thus, letting the properties as opposed to selling it) became liable for an output tax adjustment where input tax was previously deducted – since they will no longer sell the buildings, but will lease it for residential purposes, which is an exempt activity from a VAT perspective. 

Previously, SARS provided some temporary relief where dwellings were constructed, extended or improved for the purpose of sale; and subsequently rather used for exempt supplies, namely, supplying accommodation in a dwelling under an agreement for the letting and hiring thereof on a temporary basis. The temporary relief was initially intended to expire on 1 January 2015. However, the relief period was extended until 31 December 2017. Any dwelling that is temporarily let for the first time from 1 January 2018 will not qualify for the relief. Developers that let dwellings for the first time, in terms of an agreement entered into on or after 1 January 2018, are required to account for the output tax adjustments. 

The ruling 

SARS have now confirmed, in BGR55, that developers that have not accounted for the aforementioned output tax adjustments in the relevant tax periods are liable to be assessed for VAT, penalties and interest. To ensure compliance, developers are encouraged to remedy their tax affairs by means of voluntary disclosure where they have failed to make the required VAT adjustment in past tax periods. 

In the current challenging economic climate, this ruling is unfortunate, and developers would have likely wanted a reintroduction of the relief previously granted. Fortunately, there has been an increased level of response from the SARS VDP unit in recent times, and taxpayers will likely be able to sort out their affairs quicker than before.  

Requests for reasons for an assessment can be made on the eFiling system under the dispute section, as part of a taxpayer’s profile. When there is even the slightest uncertainty as to the reasons for an assessment, taxpayers are strongly advised to request reasons to ensure that they provide themselves with the best possible chance of success in a dispute.

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

Tax assessment errors: What do I do now?

Tax , ,

With the 2020 tax filing season in full swing, many taxpayers will likely engage in dispute proceedings as SARS issues their income tax assessments. This will particularly be the case where errors are contained on the so-called “auto-assessments” (which in itself is a misnomer). But how should the dispute process begin?

When an assessment is issued by SARS, they (usually) provide a short description of the reason for the assessment. Importantly, the SARS official is often restricted in what he/she can include on such an assessment as a reason (such as a selection from a “drop-down” list). For example, for additional VAT assessments (VAT217), taxpayers often find the following:

  • “Burden of proof not discharged”;
  • “Invalid tax invoice”; or
  • “Not a valid input claim”.

Such descriptions are not a clear indication of the relevant matter, particularly if it is evident that the alleged transgression is not present. The risk of such an unclear description is that a taxpayer essentially only has one opportunity to state its grounds of objection. This could seriously jeopardise a taxpayer’s case, since taxpayers may not appeal on a ground that constitutes a new objection against a disputed assessment. If a valid ground of objection is therefore not addressed in the objection itself, taxpayers may lose the opportunity to object to a specific ground.

In the example above – the assessment may indicate that the reason for the assessment is that there is not a valid tax invoice, but in fact, the issue relates to the time of supply, or the value of supply for VAT purposes – clearly not remotely related to the reason provided for on the assessment.

In terms of Rule 6 of the dispute resolution rules, a taxpayer who is aggrieved by an assessment may request SARS to provide reasons for an assessment. The reasons provided by SARS must enable the taxpayer to formulate its grounds of objection. The reasons for any administrative action must include the reasons for the conclusion reached, and it is not enough to merely state the statutory grounds on which the decision is based or repeat the wording of the legislation. The decision-maker should furthermore set out his understanding of the relevant law.

Requests for reasons for an assessment can be made on the eFiling system under the dispute section, as part of a taxpayer’s profile. When there is even the slightest uncertainty as to the reasons for an assessment, taxpayers are strongly advised to request reasons to ensure that they provide themselves with the best possible chance of success in a dispute.

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

Investment with a solid foundation

Property , ,

Buying real estate is more than finding the right home or location for your business – owning property is an investment that holds more benefits than you might know.

Income Predictability

While interest rates may alter mortgage repayments at first, real estate offers a somewhat constant financial investment. Once home loans are repaid in full, real estate offers the owner a constant income that does not fluctuate with the market, an income that can increase with inflation. Of all the investment types, real estate is the safest from external influence.

Increasing Value

Property appreciates in value over time. Thanks to South Africa’s reliable climate, real estate investments rarely depreciate due to natural causes, so long as the property is well looked after by its tenants and owner. Appreciation levels have increased at 6% per year, on average, since 1968, meaning your investment will grow no matter what.

Improve Your Investment

Where other investments rely on the financial market, the greater economy and an organisation’s performance to increase their value, property value can be greatly improved by improving the actual property. With a little elbow grease and dedicated planning, you can increase the value of your investment yourself.

Retirement Ready

A great benefit of owning property is that it is there when you need it the most. While the initial burden of home loan down-payments on cashflow can be rather strenuous, the weight lessens considerably over the years as the principal reduction increases. This means that your cashflow will increase as you near retirement, allowing you to invest your money more appropriately.

Up Your Equity

While you pay off your home loan, you are also increasing your equity as your property counts as an asset in your net worth. Through increased equity you will be able to gain more leverage in financial situations, when obtaining a loan, for example, and you will be able to grow your wealth more steadily as well.

Portfolio Diversification

Real estate investment holds less risk than other major class investments, allowing you to create a diversified and safer investment portfolio. Through a diversified investment portfolio, you ensure that your investments are not all influenced by the same external factors, such as a fall in share value (as has been seen during the COVID-19 pandemic).

When you start looking at investment options, it may be a wise decision to consider including real estate in your portfolio early on. Remember to reign in the assistance of the experts to help you find the perfect property to invest in.

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

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