The commencement of the 2023 tax filing season saw the South African Revenue Service (SARS) further upholding its commitment to keep a close eye on high-net-worth (HNW) taxpayers with assets above R50 million.
All taxpayers should arrange their tax affairs to obtain the best advantage and to pay the least amount of tax. This is a right every taxpayer possesses, and well entrenched in South African and international tax law. However, this planning must be done within the constraints of what the law allows.
If you hold “Beneficial Ownership” in relation to a company, you should already be aware of the new “Beneficial Ownership Register” functionality now on the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission’s e-services platform.
South African expatriates (SA expats) who work and live abroad are cautioned to ensure their tax affairs are up to date, to avoid falling foul of SARS’ drive for full tax compliance. This is especially the case now that SARS has drastically turned its wheel to ensure the collection of all taxes due and payable.
Tax debt can creep into your life if left unchecked; having dire financial and lifestyle, consequences for you, and potentially, your family.
On 30 June 2023, in a Gazetted public notice, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) formally expanded its third-party reporting standards to include trusts. Now, all South African trusts, and some foreign trusts, are required to submit returns containing third-party information as specified by SARS.
On 1 April 2023, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) released its new “Beneficial Ownership Register” functionality on its e-services platform. This new requirement has placed companies under the spotlight as they must now declare their Beneficial Ownership to the CIPC.
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has confirmed that the 2023 tax season will commence as follows: Individual taxpayers (non-provisional): 7 July 2023 to 23 October 2023 Provisional taxpayers: 7 July 2023 to 24 January 2024
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has continually granted a lifeline to non-compliant taxpayers by keeping the Voluntary Disclosure Programme (VDP) open, which allows non-compliant taxpayers to come clean. The VDP came as a saving grace for many, especially as SARS began ramping up its efforts to eliminate non-compliance and massive collection drives.
Binding Private Ruling: BPR 387 Attribution of nett income to a public benefit organisation (09 December 2022) This ruling determines the tax consequences of a public benefit organisation (PBO) holding a participatory interest in a controlled foreign company, which is a foreign incorporated charity.