“BOOKING” CAPITAL LOSSES ON SHARES IS NOT THAT EASY

There is a number of techniques that taxpayers use to reduce their capital gains tax (CGT) exposure on long-term share investments. A common practice is to utilise the annual exclusion of R40 000 provided for in paragraph 5 of the Eighth Schedule of the Income Tax Act[1] by selling shares that have been bought at a […]

TREASURY MOVES TO CLOSE CGT AVOIDANCE LOOPHOLE THROUGH SHARE BUYBACKS

Where one company previously sought to dispose of its shares in another company, it was able to do so without incurring an exposure for capital gains tax (“CGT”) or dividends tax, if that disposal were structured as an issue of shares by the target company to the “purchaser”, followed by a corresponding buyback of shares […]

CAPITAL GAINS AND CANCELLED SALES

Many transactions in terms in which assets are sold are subject to suspensive conditions. In terms of such agreements, the sales transaction will only take place once all the suspensive conditions have been met.[1] Many other agreements may however be subject to a resolutive condition. A resolutive condition involves one whereby an agreement is cancelled […]

A TIMING ANOMOLY WHEN DISPOSING OF PROPERTY

Property related transactions are typically significant transactions, and therefore tax considerations linked thereto should be carefully considered. One such consideration involves the timing of the disposal of immovable property that was held by persons as capital assets. Sales of such property will comprise a transaction subject to capital gains tax (“CGT”). This article considers when […]