Globalisation of trade and investment has led multinational enterprises to develop strategies to maximise profits by investing in countries with a favourable tax climate, resulting in loss of tax revenue to domestic economies. In South Africa, recent economic liberalisation and associated relaxation of exchange controls have created increasing exposure to global competition, risk of capital flight and potential threat to the tax base. Heeding OECD recommendations intended to counter negative tax implications for domestic economies and curb harmful tax practices, South Africa introduced controlled foreign company provisions initially in 1997, followed by comprehensive legislation in 2001. Appropriateness of South Africa’s CFC regulations as domestic anti-avoidance measures is assessed in this study for their relevance in the international fiscal arena, highlighting key divergences, shortcomings and anomalies in the South African regulations compared with OECD recommendations, and with regulatory measures in the United Kingdom (jurisdictional-entity approach) and the United States (transactional approach), these two examplars offering paradigms of the most important CFC regulatory approaches currently in force. The primary materials investigated in the study are the statutes which constitute the taxation laws, read in conjunction with auxiliary, quasi-statutory advisory and explanatory documentation issued by the respective regulatory authorities, along with test cases that established legal precedent on points of ambiguity in taxation law. A key finding in the literature review is the relative dearth of publications on current South African CFC regulations in an international comparative context. A paradigm shift is noted in United Kingdom tax policy, as it migrates towards a territorially inclined tax system in CFC regulations – more compatible with European Union (EU) requirements and propelled in large measure by EU-pressure – with a similar trend in United States tax policy, intended to rekindle expansion and growth of the United States economy through repatriation of foreign funds earned by CFCs. The study finds that it would be unrealistic to seek an absolute paradigm for reform or evolution of South African CFC regulations in either the United Kingdom or the United States, although the South African and United Kingdom CFC measures show significant affinities in their entity-based mechanisms to grant full exemption. More significant constituents of CFC regulation in one or another of the two countries do, however, prove to be generally congenial to the South African situation and offer useful pointers for ongoing reform of the South African measures. Other areas in the United Kingdom or United States CFC regulations are identified as less relevant to South African requirements, being linked to tax principles that would be excessively complicated in the South African circumstances, needlessly demanding for tax administrators and for South African shareholders, contradictory to South African tax principles, anachronistic, or not suited for the underlying global-entity approach in the South African regulations. The research provides an updated assessment of the current state of the South African CFC regulatory measures, when seen in a broader international context, and indicates areas that could be the subject of fruitful ongoing investigation. / PhD (Tax), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Globalisation of trade and investment has led multinational enterprises to develop strategies to maximise profits by investing in countries with a favourable tax climate, resulting in loss of tax revenue to domestic economies. In South Africa, recent economic liberalisation and associated relaxation of exchange controls have created increasing exposure to global competition, risk of capital flight and potential threat to the tax base. Heeding OECD recommendations intended to counter negative tax implications for domestic economies and curb harmful tax practices, South Africa introduced controlled foreign company provisions initially in 1997, followed by comprehensive legislation in 2001. Appropriateness of South Africa’s CFC regulations as domestic anti-avoidance measures is assessed in this study for their relevance in the international fiscal arena, highlighting key divergences, shortcomings and anomalies in the South African regulations compared with OECD recommendations, and with regulatory measures in the United Kingdom (jurisdictional-entity approach) and the United States (transactional approach), these two examplars offering paradigms of the most important CFC regulatory approaches currently in force. The primary materials investigated in the study are the statutes which constitute the taxation laws, read in conjunction with auxiliary, quasi-statutory advisory and explanatory documentation issued by the respective regulatory authorities, along with test cases that established legal precedent on points of ambiguity in taxation law. A key finding in the literature review is the relative dearth of publications on current South African CFC regulations in an international comparative context. A paradigm shift is noted in United Kingdom tax policy, as it migrates towards a territorially inclined tax system in CFC regulations – more compatible with European Union (EU) requirements and propelled in large measure by EU-pressure – with a similar trend in United States tax policy, intended to rekindle expansion and growth of the United States economy through repatriation of foreign funds earned by CFCs. The study finds that it would be unrealistic to seek an absolute paradigm for reform or evolution of South African CFC regulations in either the United Kingdom or the United States, although the South African and United Kingdom CFC measures show significant affinities in their entity-based mechanisms to grant full exemption. More significant constituents of CFC regulation in one or another of the two countries do, however, prove to be generally congenial to the South African situation and offer useful pointers for ongoing reform of the South African measures. Other areas in the United Kingdom or United States CFC regulations are identified as less relevant to South African requirements, being linked to tax principles that would be excessively complicated in the South African circumstances, needlessly demanding for tax administrators and for South African shareholders, contradictory to South African tax principles, anachronistic, or not suited for the underlying global-entity approach in the South African regulations. The research provides an updated assessment of the current state of the South African CFC regulatory measures, when seen in a broader international context, and indicates areas that could be the subject of fruitful ongoing investigation. / PhD (Tax), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The high economic growth of formerly closed markets such as China, Russia, Poland, and the Baltic states has created vast business and growth opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Although this international business expansion of SMEs occurs in highly dissimilar business contexts and fierce international competition, it remains overlooked by research. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis is to contribute to an enhanced understanding of internationalization processes of SMEs by studying the overarching research question: What are the main features of internationalization processes of SMEs in an emerging market context? Three sub-problems are researched with regard to SMEs entering and taking off from emerging markets, as well as differences and similarities between these processes, in order to identify what features characterize them. Empirically, two surveys of 116 and 203 Swedish SMEs, respectively, with experiences of entry into emerging markets were conducted through standardized questionnaires via mail and on-site visits. In addition, case studies were conducted through interviews and observations of five internationalizing Chinese SMEs and four Chinese wholesale and retail market platforms. Five essays are compiled within the thesis and major findings and conclusions provide theoretical and empirical contributions to research on the internationalization processes of SMEs. With regard to the overlooked internationally experienced manufacturing SMEs from mature markets such as Sweden, theoretical advancements are made identifying the main concepts of their entry into emerging markets: entry node (the establishment point into the foreign business network); market-specific experiential knowledge; and perceived institutional distance. With regard to the internationally novel Chinese SMEs, these were seen to diverge from traditional internationalization paths. Indications were found of a parallel expansion abroad and at home, even using foreign markets as a springboard for further growth at home. The take-off node concerns the departure from an emerging home market, where a paradox of knowledge was found: the use of indirect export via a domestic intermediary facilitates the take off, but hinders further international expansion since no international experience or relationships are built up. Moreover, institutional distance was reduced due to collective internationalization through co-locating abroad. Generally, degree of maturity of the home market; as well as degree of internationalization and type of firm; are the main features behind differences between internationalization processes of SMEs in an emerging market context.

Controlled foreign company ('CFC') legislation was introduced in phases to co-incide with South Africa?s move from a source based system to a residence based system. Initially with the introduction of the legislation it was directed at those foreign entities earning passive income. However, over the years the legislation has been amended to include active income of entities and additional aspects to the section have been inserted to provide clarity for taxpayers. An increase in cross border transactions and offshore investment has necessitated the need to introduce CFC legislation into the revenue codes of many countries, South Africa being one of them. In most revenue codes where CFC or similar legislation has been introduced it is one of the most complex areas in a country's revenue code (Sandler, 1998:23). This mini-dissertation aims to interpret section 9D and also aims to provide guidance on its application in practice with the help of practical examples and reference to relevant international case law. The end result of this research is a proposed interpretation note on section 9D which is attached as Appendix 1. / Thesis (M.Com. (Tax))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Controlled foreign company ('CFC') legislation was introduced in phases to co-incide with South Africa?s move from a source based system to a residence based system. Initially with the introduction of the legislation it was directed at those foreign entities earning passive income. However, over the years the legislation has been amended to include active income of entities and additional aspects to the section have been inserted to provide clarity for taxpayers. An increase in cross border transactions and offshore investment has necessitated the need to introduce CFC legislation into the revenue codes of many countries, South Africa being one of them. In most revenue codes where CFC or similar legislation has been introduced it is one of the most complex areas in a country's revenue code (Sandler, 1998:23). This mini-dissertation aims to interpret section 9D and also aims to provide guidance on its application in practice with the help of practical examples and reference to relevant international case law. The end result of this research is a proposed interpretation note on section 9D which is attached as Appendix 1. / Thesis (M.Com. (Tax))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.