LL.M. (Tax Law) / Capital Gains Tax (“CGT”) was introduced with effect from 1 October 2001 by the insertion of section 26A and an Eighth Schedule into the Income Tax Act 58 of 1962, by the Taxation Laws Amendment Act 5 of 2001. Paragraph 40(1) of the Eight Schedule provides that a deceased person must, with certain exceptions, be treated as having disposed of his assets to his estate for proceeds equal to the market value of those assets as at the date of death. Paragraph 40(1A) of the Eight Schedule provides that if an asset of a deceased person is treated as having been disposed of under paragraph 40(1) and is transferred directly to the estate of the deceased person, the estate must be treated as having acquired the asset at a cost equal to its market value as at the date of death for base-cost purposes, and if the asset is transferred directly to an heir or legatee, the heir or legatee must be treated as having acquired the asset at a cost equal to its market value as at the date of death for base-cost purposes. The capital gain will be the difference between the market value of a taxable asset of the deceased on the date of his death and its base cost to him, which is included in his final income tax assessment and which will have to be settled out of the estate‟s assets. There are many arguments in favour of the discontinuance of the levying of CGT at the death of a taxpayer in South Africa, which arguments become evident when comparing the South African CGT provisions regarding the levying of CGT at death with tax jurisdictions such as Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Botswana and Nigeria. Canada for example abolished their inheritance tax in 1972 which in that particular situation justifies the levying of CGT at death. If CGT will continue to be levied at the death of a taxpayer it is suggested that a carry-over approach in terms of which the heir inherits the asset at its acquisition cost and the CGT liability is deferred until the heir actually disposes of the asset should be followed. This approach is currently followed in Australia, Botswana and Nigeria. The holder of an inherited bare dominium will suffer at the hands of a CGT anomaly where the deceased created a limited interest, for example a usufruct over a fixed property bequeathed by him to the bare dominium holder. The anomaly that transpires is that the limited interest created by the deceased will result in an artificial drop in the base cost of the fixed property so bequeathed and there will be no adjustment to the base cost when the bare dominium holder succeeds to full ownership of the fixed property, for example when the usufructuary passes away, meaning that the same capital gain will be taxed twice. It is submitted that legislative amendments are required to provide for an increase in the base cost applicable to the bare dominium holder when the usufructuary eventually passes away. Alternatively the SARS‟s current practice in this respect should be altered to avoid the unbearable situation where a capital gain may be taxed at 2 separate instances. At least two anomalies exist when dealing with capital losses in the deceased‟s final period of assessment and in the winding up of the deceased‟s estate. Firstly a capital loss may not be carried forward from the deceased‟s final assessment to his deceased estate to be set off against capital gains that may be realised in the winding up of the estate. Secondly a capital loss incurred on the sale of a capital asset during the winding up of a deceased estate cannot be carried over from the deceased estate to the heirs of the deceased and will thus remain unutilised. It is suggested that the method followed in Canada in respect of capital losses that occurred in the year of a taxpayer‟s death should be followed in South Africa, ie that such capital loss may be carried back three years in order to reduce any taxable capital gains that occurred in those years or that the capital losses may be utilised to reduce other income of the taxpayer in his final return. It is further suggested that this method should also be followed in respect of unutilised capital losses that occurred in the winding up of the estate, alternatively the capital losses so realised must be carried over to the heirs of the deceased.

Idag präglas den svenska bostadsmarknaden av en trögrörlighet som bland annat beror på höga flyttrelaterade skatter. Dessa flyttrelaterade skatter består av reavinstskatt, stämpelskatter, expeditionsavgifter och uppskovsränta. Många hushåll anser det idag vara för dyrt att flytta och avstår därför. Detta leder till att flyttkedjor stannar upp och arbetsmarknaden påverkas negativt eftersom många hushåll drar sig för att flytta och många tackar därför nej till arbeten som kräver en flytt. Detta beteende leder till att den individuella välfärden och hela Sveriges ekonomiska välfärd drabbas negativt. Detta är ett aktuellt och omtalat ämne och många rapporter har skrivits och det finns många förslag på förbättringar till dagens system. Många har som syfte att ge förslag på olika åtgärder som skulle leda till ett bättre system på bostadsmarknaden och många har gjort beräkningar på hur resultat av bland annat en minskning av reavinstskatten skulle se ut. Det är dock i detta examensarbete första gången som en siffra över hur hög en fastighetsskatt skulle behöva vara för att kunna ersätta dagens alla flyttrelaterade skatter redovisas. Detta arbete har som syfte att se över dagens flyttrelaterade skattesystem och uppmärksamma eventuella problem med dagens situation. En litteraturstudie redovisas för att en bredare inblick ska ges och utifrån litteraturstudien kommer sedan ett antal förslag till förbättringar av dagens flyttrelaterade skattesystem att sammanfattas. Sedan kommer en utredning av hur mycket dagens flyttrelaterade skatter faktiskt genererar i pengar till staten att redovisas och sist kommer beräkningen över hur hög en fastighetsskatt skulle behöva vara för att kunna ersätta dagens flyttrelaterade skatter. Slutsatserna visar på att en del av problemen med dagens flyttrelaterade skattesystem kan lösas med en rad olika åtgärder som flera författare har utrett. Beräkningarna över hur hög en fastighetsavgift skulle behövara vara för att kunna ersätta dagens flyttrelaterade skatter visar på att alla bostadsägare årligen ska betala 5900 kronor eller 0,47 % av sitt taxeringsvärde i skatt, oavsett om man äger ett småhus eller en bostadsrättslägenhet. / The Swedish housing market is presently characterized by low mobility. This could partly be a result of the high taxes on moving from one house to another. Not only is there a capital-gains tax on moving, but also a stamp duty, a service charge and an interest charge on postponed capital gains tax. Many households consider the price of moving too high, making them reluctant to move. This will have a negative effect on the labour market due to the fact that people will be less willing to move to places where labour is needed. This type of behaviour will ultimately affect both the wealth of the individual and Sweden’s economy in a negative way. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the current tax-system and emphasize the problems with it. Firstly, a literature study will be presented to give a wide perspective of the subject. This will be the basis for a number of suggestions that will resolve the problem with low mobility on the housing market. After this, an investigation of how much money the taxes on moving actually generate to the government. Lastly, a calculation of how high a real estate tax would have to be in order to replace the taxes on moving. The conclusions of this paper suggest that there are a number of actions that can be taken in order to resolve some of the problems with the tax system on the Swedish housing market. The calculations show that the taxes on moving could be replaced by a real estate tax where the homeowners would pay 5900 SEK or 0,47% of the assess value of the home yearly, instead of paying taxes only when moving.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die praktyk is daar talle situasies waar 'n krediteur wetend of onwetend 'n verwante of nie-verwante debiteur se skuld verminder of aflos. Voor die instelling van kapitaalwinsbelasting het daar reeds talle nadelige inkomstebelastinggevolge bestaan wat uit sodanige vermindering of aflossing kan voortspruit. Die instelling van kapitaalwinsbelasting en meer spesifiek paragraaf 12(5) van die Agtste Bylae tot die Inkomstebelastingwet Nr 58 van 1962, het tot gevolg dat die vermindering of aflossing van skuld ook nadelige kapitaalwinsbelastinggevolge tot gevolg kan he. Die studie sal kortliks na die moontlike inkomstebelastinggevolge van die vermindering of aflossing van skuld verwys aangesien hierdie gevolge in sekere omstandighede die kapitaalwinsbelastinggevolge kan be'invloed. Die inkomstebelastinggevolge wat bespreek sal word is die vermindering van 'n persoon se vasgestelde verlies as gevolg van 'n vergelyk met of konsessie deur skuldeisers, verhalings wat ontstaan by die veIjaring of afstanddoening van skuld, geagte dividende onderhewig aan sekondere belasting op maatskappye, skenkings onderhewig aan skenkingsbelasting en ook byvoordele wat ingesluit word by 'n werknemer se belasbare inkomste. Die fokus van die studie verskuifvervolgens na die uitleg van paragraaf 12(5) van die Agtste Bylae tot die Inkomstebelastingwet. Die uitleg van hierdie paragraaf aan die hand van die normale reels wat geld by die uitleg van belastingwetgewing in die algemeen sal daarop wys dat die belangrikste elemente wat moet bestaan alvorens hierdie bepaling sal geld is dat daar 'n skuld moes bestaan het en dat hierdie skuld verminder of afgelos moes word. Die studie ondersoek daama die regswerking van die terme 'verminder' en 'aflos' om te bepaal watter gebeure daartoe aanleiding gee dat skuld verminder of afgelos word. Na aanleiding van hierdie gebeure wat tot gevolg kan he dat skuld verminder of afgelos word, word 'n aantal praktiese gevallestudies bespreek waardeur die toepasssingsveld van paragraaf 12(5) van die Agtste Bylae tot die Inkomstebelastingwet gei1lustreer kan word. Uit die ondersoek word daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat daar 'n groot aantal situasies bestaan wat moontlik kapitaalwinsbelastinggevolge vir 'n persoon kan inhou wanneer skuld verminder of afgelos word. Die studie bespreek ook moontlike voorkomende maatreels wat die trefwydte van hierdie bepaling kan inperk. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It often occurs in practice that a creditor knowingly or un-knowingly reduces or discharges a debt owed to it by a related or unrelated debtor. Prior to the introduction of capital gains tax there already existed many negative income tax implications from such a reduction or discharge. The introduction of capital gains tax, and more specificly paragraph 12(5) of the Eighth Schedule to the Income Tax Act No 58 of 1962, now extends these negative income tax consequences to also include negative capital gains tax implications. This study will briefly look at the potential income tax implications associated with reduction or discharge of debt as these implications will also impact on the potential capital gains implications. The income tax implications that will be discussed are the reduction of a person's assessed loss as a result of a concession granted by or a compromise made with his creditors, recoupments as a result of the prescription or waiver of a debt, deemed dividends subject to secondary tax on companies, donations subject to donations tax and fringe benefits included in the taxable income of an employee. The focus of the study subsequently moves to the interpretation of paragraph 12(5) of the Eighth Schedule to the Income Tax Act. The most important elements that will arise from this interpretation, based on the normal rules of the interpretation of income tax legislation, are that there must be a debt and that the debt must be reduced or discharged. The study then examines the legal implications of the terms 'reduce' and 'discharge' in order to determine what circumstances can have the effect that a debt has been reduced or discharged. These circumstances are then applied on various examples to illustrate the scope of paragraph 12(5) of the Eighth Schedule to the Income Tax Act. From this examination the conclusion is drawn that there are many circumstances that exists that could lead to capital gains tax implications as a result of the reduction or discharge of a debt. The study also discusses possible preventive measures that could be implemented to prevent the application of paragraph 12(5) of the Eighth Schedule to the Act.

Thesis (MAcc)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Capital gains tax has been introduced into the South African tax system for the first time, on all capital gains arising on or after 1 October 2001. The issue of whether a capital gains tax will be a suitable tax for South Africa has already been addressed in the form of Commission Reports. In these reports, the idea of adopting this tax system was not recommended for the South African tax system or only a limited capital gains tax was recommended. This study, however, investigates whether the legislation passed by government is in line with the basic principles of an efficient and effective tax system. Firstly, the principles of an efficient and effective tax system are set out as those originally proposed by Adam Smith as well as those that have been adapted to modern tax theory. The factors that impact on capital gains tax are identified and specific criteria are formulated against which the legislated capital gains tax is evaluated. The mechanics of the capital gains tax is discussed, classified into the factors that impact a capital gains tax and evaluated against the abovementioned criteria. lt has been held that the introduction of this new form of tax to the South African tax system addresses many inefficiencies and deficiencies in the current tax system. lt is the writer's opinion that an investigation as to the degree to which this tax system adheres to the principles of an effective and efficient tax system, was thus necessary. For the purposes of this investigation, the legislated capital gains tax was evaluated against the principles of neutrality, certainty and simplicity, administrative efficiency, flexibility, invisibility and equity (fairness, horizontal and vertical equity). lt was found that the principles of flexibility, fairness and horizontal equity are achieved. To a lesser extent, the principles of neutrality, certainty and simplicity, and administrative efficiency are achieved, and the principles of invisibility and vertical equity have not been achieved. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kapitaalwinsbelasting is nou vir die eerste keer deel van die Suid Afrikaanse belastingstelsel. Dit affekteer alle kapitale winste wat op of na 1 Oktober 2001 realiseer. Die vraagstuk oar die geskiktheid van kapitaalwinsbelasting vir Suid-Afrika is alreeds voorheen in die vorm van Kommissieverslae aangespreek. Geen, of slegs 'n beperkte kapitaalwinsbelasting is in hierdie verslae aanbeveel vir die Suid-Afrikaanse belastingstelsel. Die studie wat volg, ondersoek die mate waarin die wetgewing ten opsigte van kapitaalwinsbelasting aan die basiese beginsels van 'n effektiewe en doeltreffende belastingstelsel voldoen. Eerstens word die beginsels van 'n doeltreffende en effektiewe belastingstelsel uiteengesit as die soos oorspronklik voorgestel deur Adam Smith, asook die wat deur moderne belastingteorie aangepas is. Tweedens word die faktore wat kapitaalwins be·invloed ge·identifiseer en laastens word spesifieke kriteria geformuleer waarteen die kapitaalwinsbelasting geevalueer sal word. Die werking van die kapitaalwinsbelasting word bespreek, geklassifiseer in faktore wat 'n kapitaalwinsbelasting be·invloed en teen die bogenoemde kriteria geevalueer. Daar is beslis dat die toevoeging van hierdie vorm van belasting tot die Suid Afrikaanse belastingstelsel die ondoeltreffendheid en ander gebreke in die huidige belastingstelsel aanspreek. Dit is die skrywer se mening dat 'n ondersoek ten opsigte van die mate waartoe hierdie belastingstelsel die beginsels van 'n effektiewe en doeltreffende belastingstelsel nakom, dus nodig was. Vir die doeleindes van hierdie ondersoek, is kapitaalwinsbelasting geevalueer teen die beginsels van neutraliteit, sekerheid en eenvoudigheid, administratiewe doeltreffendheid, aanpasbaarheid, onsigbaarheid en billikheid (regverdigheid, horisontale en vertikale billikheid). Daar word tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat daar aan die beginsels van aanpasbaarheid, regverdigheid en horisontale billikheid voldoen word. Tot 'n minder mate, word daar aan die beginsels van neutraliteit, sekerheid en eenvoudigheid, en administratiewe doeltreffendheid voldoen. Daar word nie aan die beginsels van onsigbaarheid en vertikale billikheid voldoen nie.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Commerce / The debt reduction provisions contained in s 19 and para 12A of the Eighth Schedule to the Income Tax Act 58 of 1962 seek to reverse the tax benefits claimed or enjoyed by debtors in relation to debt which has been forgiven, wholly or in part. In most cases, the application of these provisions should not lead to any difficulty. Nevertheless, some scenarios are not adequately provided for by the legislation, including debt reduction in favour of debtors carrying on mining operations, as well as partial debt reductions. Furthermore, the applicability of some of the exemptions to these provisions is unclear. Despite recent amendments to these provisions, which will apply to years of assessment commencing on or after 1 January 2013, the legislature has not addressed these issues. Key words: allowance assets; base cost; capital assets; capital gains tax; debt forgiveness; debt reduction; debt waiver; deemed donation; donation; donations tax; exemption; group of companies; operating expenditure; mining capital expenditure; tracing of expenditure; trading stock.

Thesis. 1977. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Alfred P. Sloan School of Management. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND DEWEY. / Bibliography : leaves 140-144. / M.S.

This thesis analyses the Australian approach to taxation of goodwill and related intangibles. It asks the questions: 'Is the current Australian approach to taxation of goodwill coherent?'; and 'Could a different approach minimise any distortions?' The thesis identifies the increasing importance of goodwill and other intangible property in a modern information-based economy. It identifies benchmarks for a 'good' tax system ??? such as efficiency, simplicity, and equity. It emphasises the criteria of simplicity and efficiency but includes other criteria and specifically considers the issue of alignment of accounting and legal concepts. It concludes that the current misalignment makes it difficult for the tax system to deal with goodwill coherently. The thesis criticises the treatment of goodwill under various Australian taxes, including stamp duty; Goods and Services Tax; taxation of capital gains; and income tax. It specifically considers the treatment of intangible sources of goodwill and their relationship with goodwill itself. The discussion of income tax pays particular attention to the role of goodwill and other intangibles in international transfer pricing. The thesis draws conclusions about the treatment of goodwill in Australia and whether the Australian approach meets the benchmarks established at the outset. The thesis demonstrates that the current Australian approach leads, inter alia, to tax avoidance. The current approach also offends a number of other criteria of a 'good' system. The thesis considers the UK tax treatment of intangibles held by resident companies and considers this model for Australia. It also considers the abandoned 'Tax Value Method' previously proposed for Australia. From this and other material, it suggests possible new directions and an alternative approach to taxing goodwill in Australia. These include a consistent and coherent definition of goodwill for tax that is compatible with law and accounting. The thesis also urges the development of a consistent approach to taxing goodwill at both the state and federal levels; and suggests greater reliance on the existence of goodwill as a means to establish jurisdiction to impose tax in international tax situations.

The decision of an estate owner to employ a trust as an estate planning instrument normally involves the disposal of all or part of his growth assets to the trust. This is done to ensure that the value of such growth assets is pegged down in his personal estate, whilst any growth in the assets occurs in the trust. The objective is to minimise any estate duty that will be payable after his death. The transfer of such assets and the concomitant negotiation of the settlement of the purchase price are normally agreed to occur on loan account which will be repayable on demand. Subsequent to the disposal of the assets, it is a well established estate planning technique for the estate owner to reduce the loan account by annually waiving R30 000 of such loan in favour of the trust. This results in reducing the debit loan (asset) in the hands of the estate owner and thereby also improving his position from an estate duty point of view. The liability (credit loan) of the trust is thereby annually reduced. Because an individual can donate R30 000 annually free of donations tax, no additional donations tax liability will be incurred when applying this technique. Most estate owners that have applied the abovementioned technique, include in their will a provision whereby they bequeath any outstanding loan from the trust at the date of the testator's death, to the trust as a legatee. On 1 October 2001 South Africa entered into a new tax dispensation with the introduction of capital gains tax (CGT). Comprehensive legislation was included in the Income Tax Act (8th schedule) to regulate this new form of taxation. Paragraph 12(5) of the 8th schedule specifically stipulates that a reduction or waiver of a loan/debt will attract CGT. Therefore the above mentioned techniques of donating a portion, and subsequently bequeathing the outstanding loan amount to a trust suddenly became the target of SARS' close scrutiny from a CGT perspective. Hence, it was no surprise that the first High Court decision on CGT had recently been delivered in this regard. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate and scrutinise, not only the decision in the abovementioned court case, but also the various opinions and arguments raised on this topic. The submission is that the findings and conclusions of such an investigation should enable those involved in estate planning and the preparation of wills to be wary of the CGT risks attached to the abovementioned techniques and to avoid the pitfalls. Certain recommendations and conclusions to achieve the same estate planning result, are proposed in this dissertation. Certain suggestions were also made with regards to the wording of provisions to be included in a will in order to bequeath a loan or debt to a trust without the risk of attracting unforeseen CGT. / Thesis (LL.M. (Estate Law))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

As the international markets opened up it became imperative that the for South African taxation system be brought into line with those of its major trading partners whose tax systems are residence based. For South Africans the change to a residence base and the introduction of Capital Gains Tax in 2001 drastically altered the previous source-based tax playing fields. The purpose of this research is to investigate all aspects of residence and its effect on natural persons as well as other legal personae and to discuss how the various forms of income are affected by the new tax dispensation. The position in other fiscal dispositions is also scrutinised to give the reader a more comprehensive understanding of residence-based taxation as applied by some of South Africa's major trading partners. For foreign nationals residing in South Africa, the new system has also had its negative impact. Previously, their foreign earnings were free from local tax because of the old source base system, but this has also changed. The South African legal system is also thoroughly canvassed regarding two important concepts, namely, "resident" and "ordinary resident" and what are meant by them in terms of tax law. These concepts have also enjoyed the scrutiny of the other fiscal dispensations legal systems reviewed. Residence tests to determine the tax status of a person in South Africa and in other fiscal dispensations are investigated in this study to give anyone wishing to emigrate to other climes, a better understanding of what they can expect from a taxation point of view from the fiscal authorities there. The impact of residence on most forms of income is discussed including that of foreign workers and on other legal entities such as companies, while Capital Gains Tax, and the importance of residence on this tax is also canvassed by this study. The study concludes with a review of the standard Double Tax Agreement concluded by South Africa with most other countries and lists those countries with which it has such agreements. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

The decision of an estate owner to employ a trust as an estate planning instrument normally involves the disposal of all or part of his growth assets to the trust. This is done to ensure that the value of such growth assets is pegged down in his personal estate, whilst any growth in the assets occurs in the trust. The objective is to minimise any estate duty that will be payable after his death. The transfer of such assets and the concomitant negotiation of the settlement of the purchase price are normally agreed to occur on loan account which will be repayable on demand. Subsequent to the disposal of the assets, it is a well established estate planning technique for the estate owner to reduce the loan account by annually waiving R30 000 of such loan in favour of the trust. This results in reducing the debit loan (asset) in the hands of the estate owner and thereby also improving his position from an estate duty point of view. The liability (credit loan) of the trust is thereby annually reduced. Because an individual can donate R30 000 annually free of donations tax, no additional donations tax liability will be incurred when applying this technique. Most estate owners that have applied the abovementioned technique, include in their will a provision whereby they bequeath any outstanding loan from the trust at the date of the testator's death, to the trust as a legatee. On 1 October 2001 South Africa entered into a new tax dispensation with the introduction of capital gains tax (CGT). Comprehensive legislation was included in the Income Tax Act (8th schedule) to regulate this new form of taxation. Paragraph 12(5) of the 8th schedule specifically stipulates that a reduction or waiver of a loan/debt will attract CGT. Therefore the above mentioned techniques of donating a portion, and subsequently bequeathing the outstanding loan amount to a trust suddenly became the target of SARS' close scrutiny from a CGT perspective. Hence, it was no surprise that the first High Court decision on CGT had recently been delivered in this regard. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate and scrutinise, not only the decision in the abovementioned court case, but also the various opinions and arguments raised on this topic. The submission is that the findings and conclusions of such an investigation should enable those involved in estate planning and the preparation of wills to be wary of the CGT risks attached to the abovementioned techniques and to avoid the pitfalls. Certain recommendations and conclusions to achieve the same estate planning result, are proposed in this dissertation. Certain suggestions were also made with regards to the wording of provisions to be included in a will in order to bequeath a loan or debt to a trust without the risk of attracting unforeseen CGT. / Thesis (LL.M. (Estate Law))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.