Tax

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s budget has been received very positively, as demonstrated by the reaction from markets. SA Inc companies have rallied, the rand initially strengthened, and even the bond market is acting positively. However, while there are notes of hope, this budget also demonstrates a number of key risks, overly optimistic assumptions and potential weaknesses, pointing to an extremely challenging path ahead for the country.

Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni delivered his Budget Speech 2021 to Parliament on Wednesday, February 24. This document provides an overview of key information relating to the economic outlook, government revenue and expenditure, fiscal balance, and the public debt trajectory.

The Minister of Finance tabled a surprizing – yet resoundingly positive – budget on 24 February 2021.

The 2021 Budget was tabled to Parliament on 24 February 2021 by South African Finance Minister Tito Mboweni.

The global economy has been left winded and weak by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and governments the world over have a difficult task ahead. With the Minister of Finance delivering his much-anticipated 2021 National Budget this Wednesday (24 February 2021), one can’t help but reflect on what solutions need to be implemented to rebuild what was lost in 2020 because of the pandemic and years of low economic growth before then. Whatever the solutions, they need to be monumental and perhaps even radical in order to revive our economy.

As 28 February 2021 looms near on the horizon, so too does the deadline for the second provisional tax submissions for 2021. This February will be the most important tax submission to date for expatriates earning above the R1.25 million threshold as they will now be exposed to a previously non-existent tax liability in South Africa.

Even after the final reforms are in place investors will remain free to be their own worst enemy. Almost 10 years after National Treasury embarked on its mission to strengthen South African retirement savings, as reflected in the Taxation Laws Amendment Bill of 2020, the final reforms are scheduled to come into effect on March 1 but, unfortunately, fund members will still be free to sabotage their own retirement.

The President, on 15 January 2021, assented to the Taxation Laws Amendment Act No. 23 of 2020 (TLAA), which was subsequently promulgated on 20 January 2021. Despite the blow back last year on the proposed amendment to the withdrawal of retirement funding in SA based on emigration, this amendment has now been signed into law and will become effective on 1 March 2021.

While the pandemic has had a dramatic impact on business and industrial landscapes, both locally and abroad, one of the industries that has had to adapt or die quickly is the automotive industry, in all its facets. This has meant rethinking the way it does business and what stimulus packages would help to get it firing on all cylinders again.

Over the course of lockdown, pundits have shared some harrowing statistics regarding the increase in unemployment in South Africa. In general, our unemployment rates are moving in the wrong direction and the affected households have suffered great hardship as a result, but it is important to understand what this means for our tax base and our growing budget deficit.