Tag: Capital Gains Tax (CGT)

In an exciting recent development, National Treasury published a set of draft Tax and Revenue Law Amendment Bills, together with accompanying Explanatory Memorandums thereto, for public comment. These draft bills contained a host of robust proposed changes to tighten certain loopholes and inconsistencies in South Africa’s tax laws.

Warren Buffet’s favourite holding period for a stock is “forever”, but even he acknowledges there are valid reasons for selling a stock. Deciding when to sell a stock is something both professional and retail investors grapple with. In fact, it’s accepted wisdom that it is psychologically easier to buy a stock than to sell one.

When we think about estate planning, we think of a plan outlining a tax-efficient way to deal with our assets when we pass away. Instead of viewing this as a ‘death plan’, try to think of it as a ‘life plan’ – a strategy created during your lifetime to ensure that your wishes are fulfilled, and that your loved ones benefit as intended after you pass away.

Investing in an offshore retirement fund is one way of growing your wealth in a stable economy over the longer term, or even gaining residency in a foreign country. However, for South Africans, this scenario presents as many challenges as it does opportunities and should only be considered after consulting with a financial adviser and tax expert.

South Africans should understand that if they have substantial sums of money deposited in either a bank or investment account, they will inevitably be required to pay taxes on the income or capital growth derived from it.

All taxpayers should arrange their tax affairs to obtain the best advantage and to pay the least amount of tax. This is a right every taxpayer possesses, and well entrenched in South African and international tax law. However, this planning must be done within the constraints of what the law allows.

Structured products enable diversification into offshore markets while controlling risk. Any investor worth their salt understands the importance of diversification, particularly in a contemporary economic environment characterised by such volatility and uncertainty.

Nobody enjoys paying tax, but since it’s our legal obligation, we may as well make the most of it by legitimately saving where we can. Because tax savings - even if fractional - compounded over prolonged periods of time can contribute significantly to any person’s financial position.

The recent announcement of South Africa’s grey listing has compounded an already volatile market and has introduced more administrative complexity when investing offshore. Onerous due diligence processes and verifiable information may be required creating delays with offshore investments.

A growing number of South African fintech companies have developed market-ready products and are considering how to expand beyond the relatively small domestic arena. In doing so, they face a list of new issues. These include how to raise funds for growth, how bringing in international funding will affect their local Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) status, and how they will be affected by changing regulations in the pipeline.