Trust tax filings jump as penalties start to roll out
Trustees face growing pressure to file outstanding returns or formally deregister dormant trusts before penalties escalate.
#taxation
Data integrity emerges as the new tax risk frontier
Companies are under growing pressure to prove that the figures in returns, financial statements, and supporting documents all tell the same story.
SA closer to advance pricing regime, but thresholds threaten access
The new APA process aims to reduce disputes and double taxation, but practitioners say the entry bar is so high that few groups will qualify.
ConCourt ruling expands GAAR reach and raises investor risk
A wider interpretation of ‘party’ under GAAR means even commercially sound participants may face SARS’s scrutiny in multi-entity transactions.
Tax amendments materially narrow understatement penalty defence
The bona fide inadvertent error defence is limited to substantial understatements, but there is relief for taxpayers seeking to challenge estimated assessments.
Businesses should weigh VAT deregistration carefully
Rising the VAT threshold to R2.3m may prompt some businesses to deregister, but the process can trigger an immediate output tax liability on assets.
VAT decision highlights constitutional defects across tax Acts
Tax experts say the constitutional problem identified by the High Court could affect several other laws that give the finance minister similar powers.
CARF expands SARS’s visibility over crypto transactions, says PwC
The new reporting regime, effective from 1 March, increases the information available to SARS through third-party reporting and international data exchange.
Smart tech boosts compliance, yet R646bn tax debt looms large
Using AI and third-party data, SARS identified some 100 000 high-income earners who were not registered for tax.
Income tax brackets, medical tax credits adjusted for inflation
The government finally cuts payers of personal income tax some slack – and increases the medical scheme tax credits.
Changes to CGT, tax-free savings, retirement contributions, and donations
Treasury also proposes new thresholds at which fund members and living annuitants can commute to a cash lump sum.
Increase in the VAT registration threshold
The tax regime for small and micro-businesses will also be adjusted for inflation.
Zero-rated chicken will have minimal impact on tax revenue, report finds
Advocates say including certain chicken products in the zero-rated food basket will directly benefit poorer households that rely on bone-in cuts and offal.
Fewer taxpayers increasingly carrying the personal income tax load
With no inflation adjustment in 2025, PIT collections rose sharply, increasing the burden on individuals without changes to the headline rates.
Open letter to Kieswetter highlights rising taxpayer frustration
The Office of the Tax Ombud is seeing the same delays, verification snags, and procedural irregularities highlighted by a tax practitioner.
Proposal to tweak ‘bona fide inadvertent error’ in favour of SARS
The move will limit taxpayer defences that rely solely on claiming an unintentional mistake.
Higher VAT will impact business operations and consumer spending
The Minister of Finance cites an average 19% VAT among peers to argue that South Africa’s 15% rate is low, but isolated comparisons miss key factors such as exemptions, corporate rates, and overall business costs.
