As you are aware, the National Treasury announced an increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) from 14% to 15% effective 1 April 2018. We urge you to ensure that your accounting systems are set up to process transactions at the new VAT rate of 15% from 1 April 2018. This is to avoid any penalties […]
Apportionment of VAT input claims
Generally speaking, the VAT portion of expenditure incurred by a VAT vendor in carrying on its enterprise may be claimed back from SARS when the VAT vendor submits is VAT returns on a periodical basis. Typically, these input tax claims are set off against the output tax liability that the VAT vendor may have. However, […]
SARS releases new ruling on documentary requirements for VAT purposes
In February 2015 the South Atlantic Jazz Festival (Pty) Ltd successfully appealed a judgment of the Tax Court to the Full Bench of the Western Cape High Court (reported as ABC (Pty) Ltd v CSARS [2015] ZAWCHC 8). That judgment dealt with documentary proof required by the Commissioner for SARS to substantiate input tax claims […]
Explaining zero rated VAT
Value-Added Tax, or VAT, is currently typically charged at 14% on all taxable supplies of goods or services rendered by registered VAT vendors. Taxable supplies exclude exempt supplies, such as providing financial services, residential accommodation or educational services (see section 12 of the Value-Added Tax Act, 89 of 1991). Where a VAT vendor makes exempt […]
Assets held as security by SARS when a company is being liquidated
The KwaZulu-Natal High Court previously granted an application brought by Van der Merwe and others (acting as liquidators) requiring the Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service to release certain assets held by him under his control in a customs warehouse. The assets in question were being held by the Commissioner as security for payment […]
New proposed tax amendments
National Treasury releases proposed amendments to tax legislation on an annual basis. Some of the most important of these are already foreshadowed when the Minister of Finance delivers his budget speech in Parliament. The proposals made in that Budget Review are then formalised into proposed draft tax legislative amendments in the form of the Draft […]
Transfer of a property: Is vat or transfer duty payable?
A purchaser is responsible for payment of transfer cost when acquiring an immovable property, but it should further be established if the transaction is subject to the payment of VAT or transfer duty to SARS. When an immovable property is transferred, either VAT or transfer duty is payable. To determine whether VAT or transfer duty […]