Proposed changes to the taxation of preference shares

The National Treasury published the draft tax law amendment bills for comment on 16 August 2025. A significant proposal relates to section 8E, which deals with hybrid equity instruments. It affects, amongst others, preference shares. In this episode of my podcast, Tax Break, I discuss the proposed changes and share my initial thoughts about it.

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What is your South African tax residence status?

Sep 7, 2021 | Individuals and wealth planning

Many South Africans leave the country. Some do so permanently, while others temporarily work and gain experience abroad. These persons often grapple with the question whether they are still considered to be South African tax residents. SARS recently added guidance on...

The timing of tax deductions matters

Jun 9, 2026 | Corporate and business tax, General tax matters

One often encounters arguments that the year in which something is taxed or deducted does not really matter: as long as SARS taxes the amount or a deduction is claimed only once, the fiscus suffers no real loss. This position is, of course, not correct. A recent...

Partnership tax

May 25, 2026 | Uncategorized

On 19 May 2026, SARS published guidance on the new Beneficial Owner Register for Partnerships (IT3(BO)). This process involves a designated partnership representative submitting a single annual declaration of the partnership and partner information. This replaces the...

The ABSA case: “Party” and “Tax Benefit” under the GAAR

May 20, 2026 | Corporate and business tax, General tax matters, Uncategorized

The general anti-avoidance rules (GAAR) in sections 80A to 80L of the Income Tax Act 58 of 1962 (the Income Tax Act) have featured in several recent judgments. The Constitutional Court has now delivered its judgment on two legal questions raised in the ABSA case....

Income tax considerations for homeowners’ associations

May 8, 2026 | Corporate and business tax, General tax matters

Section 10(1)(e) of the Income Tax Act 58 of 1962 (the ITA) exempts levy income received by bodies corporate, share block companies and certain voluntary associations from normal tax. SARS released Issue 5 of Interpretation Note 64 in December 2025. The expanded note...

Changes to the VAT registration thresholds

Apr 26, 2026 | Value Added Tax

The National Treasury announced in the 2026 Budget Review that the compulsory VAT registration thresholds will increase from R1 million to R2,3 million. The voluntary registration threshold also increases from R50 000 to R120 000. These changes in the draft Rates and...

Be careful of the GAAR

Apr 15, 2026 | Corporate and business tax, General tax matters, Individuals and wealth planning

The number of cases before South African courts involving the general anti-avoidance rules (the GAAR) have increased noticeably in the last two years. This clearly demonstrates that SARS applies the GAAR in practice. Tax practitioners and professionals must have a...

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