Fringe benefits are the largest source of tax collection in South Africa, and a major change to the Income Tax Act has affected Fringe Benefit Tax. Virtually every year in the budget speech, the Minister of Finance introduces changes to the legislation, with the concomitant effect on individuals. In the last speech, the use of travel allowances and medical schemes, to name only two, were mentioned as being under constant review. In the budget speech of 2011, delivered by Pravin Gordhan on 23 February 2011, he announced that the employer’s contribution to retirement funds on behalf of employees will constitute a Taxable Fringe Benefit with effect from 1 March 2012. This study intends to establish, by means of a comparison between the South African and Australian Income Tax Acts, whether the taxation of fringe benefits, as set out in the Act in South Africa, is still appropriate. This will be done by evaluating the Australian system of taxing fringe benefits and comparing this with the taxation of the fringe benefits listed in the Act in SA. The study also discusses the various categories of fringe benefits listed in the Act. It will analyse and compare these with the fringe benefits in the Australian tax system. No similar research has been carried out from the South African perspective AFRIKAANS : Byvoordeel bestaan die grootste gedeelte van die bron van belasting invordering. Daar is 'n groot verandering in die Inkomstebelastingwet wat die byvoordeel belasting geaffekteer het in Suid Afrika. Byna elke jaar in sy begrotingsrede het die Minister van Finansies veranderinge aangekondig in die wetgewing wat individue raak.In die begrotingsrede van 2011, vrygestel op 23 Februarie 2011 deur die Minister van Finansies, Pravin Gordhan, sal die werkgewer se bydrae tot aftreefondse namens werknemers ,met ingang 1 Maart 2012 as 'n belasbare byvoordeel graag word. Die doel van hierdie studie is om vas te stel, deur middel van 'n vergelykende studie met Australiese Inkomstebelastingwet, of die wet op belasting op byvoordele in Suid-Afrika nog toepaslik is. Die doelwitte van die studie is om die Australiese stelsel te evalueer in vergelyking met die belasting op byvoordele in SA. Hierdie studie bespreek die verskillende kategorieë van byvoordele soos tans van toepassing op Suid-Afrika; an word ontleed en vergelyk met die byvoordele in die Australiese belasting stelsel. Daar is geen vorige navorsing uitgevoer in hierdie gebied vanuit ‘n Suid-Afrikaanse perspektief nie Copyright 2011, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Sathiga, S 2011, A comparative analysis of the taxation of fringe benefits in the South African Income Tax with the Australian Income Tax, MCom dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-03052012-161405 / > F12/4/143/gm / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Taxation / Unrestricted

Since the introduction of frequent flyer miles (e.g. Voyager miles) in South Africa, the concept has evolved in a number of ways. Currently, loyalty programmes are widely used in the consumer industry. Despite the fact that these programmes have been in place for several years, the South African Revenue Service (hereafter referred to as SARS) has failed to issue any legislation or guidance with regard to the treatment of these miles from an employees’ tax perspective. The fringe benefit implications of frequent flyer miles have been the topic of research both in South Africa and abroad. However, little research has been identified on the tax implications of loyalty programmes. This study re-examined past studies and literature identified on frequent flyer miles and analysed the impact these have on loyalty points earned on personal and corporate credit cards from an employees’ tax perspective. The study also extended past research and investigated loyalty points awarded to employees as an incentive from an employees’ tax perspective. The study had three specific objectives. The first objective was to analyse past research studies, court cases and other literature in order to establish the theoretical construct of this study. Secondly, it compared the treatment of frequent flyer miles earned by, or awarded to, employees in South Africa to the treatment of these in Australia and Canada. The third objective was to analyse the employees’ tax implications of loyalty points earned by, or awarded to, employees in specific scenarios. These scenarios were limited to loyalty points earned by employers on corporate credit cards and which are awarded to employees for personal use; loyalty points earned on personal credit cards as a result of business expenditure incurred by employees; and loyalty points awarded to an employee, as part of a loyalty programme operated by the employer, as an incentive. The concluding argument of this study was that loyalty points earned on corporate or personal credit cards, which are used for the benefit of employees, may be considered not to be taxable and that consequently, no employees’ tax obligation will arise. However, this argument is plagued by uncertainties and it is questionable as to whether this view will be supported by the South African courts and SARS. In the scenario where loyalty points are awarded as an incentive to employees, it may clearly be argued that these should be taxable with the result that an employees’ tax obligation will arise. However, the nature and value of the benefit, as well as the point at which the tax event occurs, may create inequities and is therefore uncertain. All these uncertainties highlight the need for guidance in this area from SARS. AFRIKAANS : Sedert gereelde vlugmyle (bv. Voyager miles) in Suid-Afrika in plek gestel is, het hierdie konsep in verskeie vorms ontwikkel. Vandag word lojaliteitsprogramme algemeen in die verbruikersbedryf gebruik. Ten spyte van die feit dat hierdie programme vir baie jare reeds in plek is, het die Suid-Afrikaanse Inkomstediens (hierna verwys na as SAID) steeds geen wetgewing of leiding uitgereik oor die hantering van hierdie myle uit ’n werknemersbelastingsoogpunt nie. Alhoewel die byvoordeelimplikasies van gereelde vlugmyle die onderwerp was van navorsing in Suid-Afrika sowel as oorsee is min navorsing geïdentifiseer oor die belastingimplikasies van lojaliteitsprogramme. Hierdie studie heroorweeg bestaande studies en literatuur oor gereelde vlugmyle en analiseer die impak daarvan op lojaliteitspunte verdien op persoonlike en sakekredietkaarte uit ’n werknemersbelastingsoogpunt. Die studie sal ook bestaande navorsing uitbrei deur lojaliteitspunte, wat as ’n aansporing aan werknemers gegee word, uit ’n werknemersbelastingsoogpunt te analiseer. Die studie het drie spesifieke oogmerke. In die eerste plek is dit om bestaande navorsingstudies, hofsake en ander literatuur te analiseer om ’n teoretiese basis te vestig. Tweedens is dit om die belastinghantering van gereelde vlugmyle verdien deur of toegeken aan werknemers in Suid-Afrika te vergelyk met die hantering hiervan in Australië en Kanada. Die derde oogmerk is om die werknemersbelastingimplikasies van lojaliteitspunte toegeken aan of verdien deur werknemers in spesifieke scenario’s krities te analiseer. Hierdie scenario’s is beperk tot lojaliteitspunte verdien deur werkgewers op sakekredietkaarte en toegeken aan werknemers vir persoonlike gebruik; lojaliteitspunte verdien deur werknemers weens sake-uitgawes aangegaan op persoonlike kredietkaarte; en lojaliteitspunte, wat deel vorm van ’n lojaliteitsprogram wat deur die werkgewer bedryf word, gegee aan werknemers as ’n aansporingsbonus. Volgens die studie se bevindinge kan daar aangevoer word dat lojaliteitspunte verdien op sake- en persoonlike kredietkaarte vir werknemers se persoonlike gebruik nie belasbaar is nie en gevolglik geen werknemersbelastingverpligting teweeg bring nie. Nietemin gaan hierdie siening gepaard met baie onsekerhede en word bevraagteken of dit deur die Suid-Afrikaanse howe en SAID ondersteun sal word. In die scenario waar lojaliteitspunte aan werknemers as ’n aansporing gegee word, kan dit duidelik aangevoer word dat hierdie voordeel belasbaar is en dus ’n werknemersbelastingverpligting teweegbring. Daar is egter onsekerheid oor die tydstip waarop die voordeel belas moet word, asook die aard en waarde van die belasbare byvoordeel. Hierdie onsekerhede onderstreep die behoefte aan leiding op hierdie onderwerp vanaf SAID. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Taxation / unrestricted