Tag: financial statements

The Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Commission (B-BBEE Commission) has published a notice explaining how a complaint about fronting may be lodged and how it will respond. The B-BBEE Commission recently published an explanatory notice on its fronting investigations. It may investigate fronting on its own initiative or as a result of complaints received.

The South African taxi industry, a cornerstone of the nation's transport landscape, has long been under scrutiny for its apparent underpayment of taxes. However, a closer examination reveals a more complex reality. In 2021, the industry paid only R5 million in annual Corporate Income Tax (CIT). This is a small amount compared to the industry’s estimated annual revenue of R90 billion.

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.

There are two sides to the business investment equation. Financial institutions and venture capitalists need to offer suitable investment packages and correctly identify suitable funding recipients. But businesses themselves have a responsibility to ensure they are investment ready. 

Accounting is in a very exciting space. Access to modern technology has been changing the profession for several decades already. But today, it stands at a crossroads that shapes accounting's future - a break away from the routine capturing, recording and presentation of historical data.

Does the current model of the traditional regulatory and statutory audit still make sense in the changing business context? These audits performed by independent and external auditors in line with relevant laws and regulations, require the auditee to submit a set of reporting information, and the auditor to produce their report annually in line with the legislated timelines and to meet stakeholder needs.

Even in the best of times, companies may engage in financial statement fraud for various reasons. Management might want to avoid the wrath of their head office for poor performance, attract undeserved but much needed investment, reduce tax contributions, or even skim off money for themselves.

If a business suddenly had no access to its business documents and financial records, the consequences would be severely felt. And if the company suffered a cyberattack, it could be devastating. These are just two reasons why cloud computing has become so important, and why moving to online accounting can genuinely help small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

A new draft of the Companies Amendment Bill has been published. Although the bill clarifies many important company law issues; several ambiguities related to the current act remain. On Friday, 1 October 2021, the Department of Trade, and Industry (DTI) published a new draft of the Companies Amendment Bill, 2021 (2021 Bill) for public comment.

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) found that South Africa has one of the highest business start-up failure rates in the world. In the GEM National Entrepreneurship Context Index (the NECI Index), South Africa ranks 49th out of 54 countries, ahead of only Croatia, Guatemala, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, and Iran. Often, people think that the number one thing an entrepreneur needs is a winning idea.