Category: Budget 2020/21

The Covid-19 Loan Guarantee Scheme And Debt Relief For Bank Customers

Nyasha Musviba

South African banks have approved just over R7 billion in loans for 4 800 qualifying small businesses, since the Covid-19 Loan Guarantee Scheme was launched in mid-May. This amount is expected to grow as the number of applications for loans continues to increase. As at 06 June 2020: Banks have received 29 700 applications for Covid-19 loans 5 200 applications were rejected because they did not meet the eligibility criteria for the loans, as set out by the National Treasury and the South Africa Reserve Bank (SARB) 5 400 applications were declined because they did not meet bank risk criteria 14 100 applications are in the process of being assessed 200 loans were approved, but not taken up by the applicants.

SA Budget 2020/21 – Clarifying rollover relief for unbundling transactions involving non-resident shareholders

Nyasha Musviba

Author: Jerome Brink. Generally, as a matter of tax parity within South Africas corporate tax system, the distribution of an asset (including shares) by a company to its shareholders should have the same tax impact as a company sale of the asset followed by a distribution of after-tax cash proceeds. However, section 46 of the Act makes provision for rollover relief where shares of a resident company (referred to as an unbundled company) that are held by another resident company (referred to as an unbundling company) are distributed to the shareholders of that unbundling company in accordance with the effective interest of those shareholders.

SA Budget 2020/21 – Contract mining and capital expenditure: Proposed amendments following the benhaus mining judgment

Nyasha Musviba

Authors: Tsanga Mukumba and Louis Botha. Mining by its nature requires large initial capital outlays and in recognition of this the Act provides for an accelerated deduction of such capital expenditure by miners. In Benhaus Mining (Pty) Ltd v Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service (165/2018) [2019] ZASCA 1, it was held that this special regime extended to contract miners who engage in mining operations, under a contract with the holder of a mining right, and who earn a determinable fee under such agreement. For a discussion of this case see our Alert of 12 April 2019.

SA Budget 2020/21 – Refining the taxation of real estate investment trusts (REITS)

Nyasha Musviba

Authors: Aubrey Mazibuko and Jerome Brink. Prior to the commencement of specific legislation regarding real estate investment trusts (REITs) on 1 April 2013, two forms of listed property investment entities existed in South Africa, namely, property loan stock companies (PLS) and property unit trusts (PUT), i.e. collective investment schemes in property. These entities were subject to different regulatory controls and tax treatment.

SA Budget 2020/21 – Export of dual listed securities – Proposed income tax amendments

Nyasha Musviba

Authors: Tsanga Mukumba and Louis Botha. Under South Africas current exchange control (Excon) rules, South African residents are required to seek approval from the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) should they wish to export a South African listed security outside of the Common Monetary Area. As a result of the proposed modernisation of South Africas Excon regime, discussed in the Exchange Control section of our Budget Alert, under which the SARBs permission will no longer be required, it is proposed that such an export results in income tax consequences. Specifically, the Budget proposes that such a transfer now constitute a deemed disposal of that security for income tax purposes, with further consequences once the share is traded on the relevant foreign exchange.

SA Budget 2020/21 – Proposal to prevent tax avoidance through the use of loop structures

Nyasha Musviba

Author: Louis Botha. According to the Budget, the current exchange control provisions restrict the use of loop structures, in part to protect the tax base. The current policy is that a South African resident may not collectively hold more than a 40% interest in an offshore entity, which in turn, holds interests in a South African entity or made loans to a South African company. Where an interest is held in this manner, it is known as a loop structure.

Utilisation of trusts as a planning tool remains under the microscope

Nyasha Musviba

Author: Jerome Brink Historically many individuals made use of estate planning schemes through trusts, whereby taxpayers would transfer assets to a trust and the purchase price owed by the trust to the taxpayer in respect of the assets would be left outstanding as a loan, advance or credit in favour of that taxpayer on which no interest or very low interest would be charged. Alternatively, taxpayers would advance a low interest or interest-free cash loan, advance or credit to a trust in order for the trust to use the money to acquire assets.

SA Budget 2020/21 – Value-added tax

Nyasha Musviba

Despite much speculation regarding another increase in the VAT rate, it was announced that the VAT rate would remain unchanged. This is on the basis that a further increase in the VAT rate would not be possible without significant relief measures, either in the form of further zero-rated supplies or increased social grants to poor households at the same time as any increase. No further significant VAT amendments were announced.