Tag: wealth tax

As the nation waits for the rescheduled delivery of the Budget Speech on 12 March, many wonder what tax announcements to expect. The delayed budget and VAT hike mean small business owners, in particular, remain on tenterhooks as they anticipate the rate hike. This increase would see the VAT rate rise from 15% to 17%, which could significantly impact businesses.

All taxes are wealth taxes. All taxes imply the transfer of wealth from the individual owner to a government agency. The only difference between taxes is the tax base or event upon which the tax is levied, and the difference between the total burden borne by the taxpayers and the amount of revenue actually received by the government.

When it comes to funding the basic income grant (BIG), I caution against putting further financial pressure on tax-paying citizens and the private sector. The BIG is the big issue on the table this year, as Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana prepares his inaugural Budget Speech.

National Treasury has indicated that it will assess the viability of a future wealth tax, as it collects more data in the coming months following the recommendations of the Davis Tax Committee. South African Revenue Service (SARS) will focus on consolidating wealth data for taxpayers through third-party information, Treasury said in its 2021 budget review.

As we approach Budget Speech Day on 26 February 2020, many people are wondering what kind of rabbit Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is going to pull out of his hat this year. Most commentators will talk about ‘bracket-creep’, sin taxes and an increase of 1% to the VAT rate. But the Minister needs to start becoming a little more creative.

Against the backdrop of the weakening Rand, the pain point of the increased marginal tax rate of 45 per cent, the increase in the VAT rate by 1 percent in April 2018 and the decline in household spend, can South Africans really afford another tax rate hike?

Oxfam is at it again. With their latest report we are back to the same old mantra: wealth inequality is on the rise and the only solution is to tax the hell out of the rich. Further reflection reveals that the solution isn’t that simple. But first, some relevant distinctions.

Craig Pheiffer | Chief Investment Strategist | Absa Stockbrokers & Portfolio Management | prmedia@absa.co.za | www.absa.co.za | The Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) - often referred...