VAT hike halted – but legal uncertainty keeps SA on fiscal edge
Tax specialist Louis Botha answers pressing questions about the suspended VAT increase and its broader implications for budget-making power and taxpayer rights.
Author: Moonstone Information Refinery
Budget 3.0 coming after court-backed VAT suspension and new Rates Bill
SARS tells vendors there is now no legal basis for them to charge consumers VAT of 15.5% from 1 May.
Ithala’s fate hangs in the balance amid legal battles and funding disputes
Ithala depositors remain locked out of their funds while disputes over frozen accounts, strategic alliances, and government guarantees deepen.
FICA non-compliance costs bank R10 million
Absa was fined R7m for inadequate customer due diligence and R3m for delays and closures of transaction monitoring alerts.
Exemption clears money market portfolios to invest in Zaronia instruments
The exemption waives the requirement for known-in-advance rates, letting money market portfolios invest in Zaronia-linked overnight placements.
Godongwana given 30 days to revise Budget after VAT reversal
The ANC and the DA present South Africans with different versions of what led to the decision to halt the increase.
Employment equity targets drop key safeguards from Solidarity deal
The final employment equity targets have sparked concerns over transparency and methodology in the absence of clear, evidence-based rationale from the Department of Employment and Labour.
New employment equity regulations raise the stakes for employers
With the 2025 Employment Equity Regulations now in effect, designated employers must align with stricter sectoral targets or face stiff penalties – unless they can justify non-compliance.
Amended POPIA Regulations tighten the screws on direct marketing
The recently gazetted amendments enhance the rights of data subjects and clarify the compliance obligations of responsible parties.
African Bank pays R500 000 fine for misleading marketing
The advert touted a personal loan as an ‘investment’, contravening Conduct Standard 3’s requirements for clear, fair, and factually correct advertising.
No exemptions: all CASPs must adopt ‘travel rule’ directive
The FSCA and the FIC remind CASPs and FSP CASPs of the compliance requirements that take effect on 30 April.
What you need to know about credit scores
South Africa mainly uses two credit-scoring models, but they’re not identical. Understand how each model evaluates your financial habits, and how to improve your standing in both.
SCA dismisses former hedge fund manager’s bid to stay prosecution
The appeal court upholds the High Court’s finding that neither the prosecutorial delay nor Marc van Veen’s brain-tumour diagnosis warrant a permanent stay.
Five years to finalise an investigation and impose a sanction is ‘unreasonable’
The Tribunal says individuals who are subject to administrative action are entitled to fair processes that include the speedy finalisation of their matter
FSCA moves to simplify RA and preservation fund transfers
In response to industry calls, the Authority has drafted an exemption from the section 14(1) process for retail retirement funds.
Consumer Commission clamps down on dodgy car repairs
The Tribunal orders Cape Town Motor Repairs to refund a customer and pay a R100 000 fine after failing to complete vehicle repairs within the agreed timeframe.
Godongwana says VAT court challenge is politics in legal clothing
The finance minister defends the VAT hike as an urgent fiscal necessity, warning that suspending it could blow a R13.5bn hole in the Budget.
