Tag: Allan Gray

After the false start of 19 February, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana tabled the 2025 Budget on 12 March. The main tax policy proposals include raising the Value Added Tax (VAT) rate by 0.5% in each of the next two years. This will bring VAT to 16% in 2026/2027. It will be accompanied by no inflationary adjustments to personal income tax brackets, rebates, or medical tax credits.

If you’re saving for your retirement, both retirement annuities (RAs) and tax-free investments (TFIs) are good investment choices. But which one offers the best tax benefits? The answer depends on your investment goals and unique circumstances. While there are tax benefits associated with both RAs and TFIs, the benefits are structured differently, and the product rules and restrictions are quite distinct.

A good investment decision is underpinned by a tried-and-tested investment philosophy, a rigorous investment process and people who can implement and execute on these.

Of the companies we research, the tobacco industry has some of the best structural fundamentals. Tobacco consumption is relatively price-inelastic, which means that price increases can make up for falls in sales volumes. Taxes make up a large portion of sale prices.

Tax efficiency should be a key focus area for any investor’s financial plan. By making sure our tax affairs are in order, considering the tax implications of our investment decisions and maximising the tax benefits on offer, we can improve our long-term financial outcomes.

Lebanon is facing a financial meltdown so severe that the World Bank has branded it as one of the worst since the mid-19th century. The country is fast spiralling into a dangerous situation of state failure, marked by violent riots, escalating blackouts and spiking fuel price increases.

Filing season opened on 1 July 2021, with a significant number of taxpayers being assessed automatically. So, should you file a return this year or not?

South Africa’s retirement outcomes will improve radically if all retirement funding contributions are kept invested when fund members change jobs. Other quick wins include increasing the minimum government pension; delaying the government retirement age beyond 60 years; and refocusing the industry from saving a lump sum at retirement to providing a sustainable income in retirement.

When investing, sometimes the best course of action is to do nothing. Having the ability to block out the noise, and look through the cycle, are some of the cornerstones to investment success over the long term. But what else sets successful investors apart?

Although the official statistics for South Africa’s divorce rate during COVID-19 are yet be released, globally, the pandemic sent divorce rates soaring by up to 30% or more during 2020. According to DIY Legal, South Africa ranks in 83rd place out of 154 countries for divorce.