Canada and Taiwan have not entered into a tax treaty. Consequently, because each jurisdiction uses different connecting factors, that is 'residence' in Canada and 'income source' in Taiwan, double taxation may occur for individuals subject to tax in both jurisdictions. With the increasing number of Taiwanese immigrants to and investors in Canada, double taxation is becoming a significant problem. A treaty is probably the most efficient mechanism to resolve the double taxation problem. However, the political issue is how can a nation (Canada) enter into a treaty with a jurisdiction (Taiwan) that it does not recognize as a nation state? Despite facing the same problem, on May 29, 1996 Australia signed a tax agreement with Taiwan concerning the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of tax evasion. The Australia-Taiwan Tax Agreement is unique because it was signed by two private sector organizations rather than by the respective governments. Using the same mechanism, New Zealand and Vietnam have signed tax agreements with Taiwan as well. This thesis analyses the likelihood of Canada entering into a tax treaty with Taiwan. In so doing, it considers how double taxation arises, reviews the foreign reporting rules and argues that a tax treaty between Canada and Taiwan is desirable. The conclusion is that, theoretically and pragmatically, a tax treaty (or agreement) between Canada and Taiwan is possible and needed in order to relieve punitive double taxation and to facilitate bilateral economic and trading relations between the two jurisdictions. / Law, Peter A. Allard School of / Graduate

Thesis (MAcc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In November 2006 section 103(1) of the Act was abolished and replaced by a new Part IIA, containing sections 80A to 80L, which targets impermissible tax avoidance arrangements. Section 80A(c)(ii) introduced a new concept to the South African tax law: a misuse or abuse of the provisions of the Act, including Part IIA thereof. The objective of this study was to establish the origin, meaning, application and effect of section 80A(c)(ii) of the Act. The evolution of section 80A(c)(ii) was therefore examined where after the enacted version was analyzed. It was essential to determine the origin of section 80A(c)(ii) in order to establish some point of reference from which inferences could be drawn as to the possible application and effect thereof. Case law, practice statements and articles relating to its proposed root was then examined. A ‘misuse or abuse’ of a provision, it was found, implies, frustrating or exploiting the purpose of the provision. This contention was confirmed by existing Canadian precedent. Such an interpretation, however, has a strong resemblance to the words in which the draft version of section 80A(c)(ii) was couched. It is therefore in contrast to the presumption that different words (in the enacted version) imply a different meaning. The precise meaning of the words ‘misuse or abuse’ is thus still elusive. It was established that section 80A(c)(ii) has its roots in section 245 of the Canadian Act. Section 245(4) was regarded as an effective comparative to section 80A(c)(ii) as it also contained a so-called misuse or abuse rule. The application of this rule in the Canadian tax environment required the following process: - Interpret (contextually and purposively) the provisions relied on by the taxpayer, to determine their object, spirit and purpose. - Determine whether the transaction frustrates or defeats the object, spirit or purpose of the provisions. Section 245(4) had the effect of reviving the modern approach (a contextual and/or purposive theory) to the interpretation of statutes in Canada. Reference to the ‘spirit’ of a provision (above) was found not to extend the modern approach to statutory interpretation: it does not require of the court to look for some inner and spiritual meaning within the legislation. As section 245(4) was regarded as an effective comparative to section 80A(c)(ii) it was contented that it would have a similar effect, than that of its Canadian counterpart, on the approach to statutory interpretation in South Africa. However, it was established that a modern approach to statutory interpretation was already authoritative in South Africa. This finding led the author to the conclusion that section 80A(c)(ii) could at best only reinforce the case for applying such an approach. Such a purpose for section 80A(c)(ii) was however found to be void in the light of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, which was enacted in 1996, and provides a sovereign authority for the application of the modern approach. It was also found that the practical burden of showing that there was a ‘misuse or abuse of the provisions of this Act (including the provisions of this Part)’ will rest on the shoulders of the Commissioner, notwithstanding section 82 of the Act. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Artikel 103(1) van die Inkomstebelastingwet is herroep in November 2006 en vervang deur Deel IIA, bestaande uit artikels 80A tot 80L, wat daarop gemik is om ontoelaatbare belastingvermydingsreëlings te teiken. Artikel 80A(c)(ii) het ‘n nuwe konsep in die Suid-Afrikaanse Inkomstebelastingreg ingebring: ‘n misbruik of ‘n wangebruik van die bepalings van die Wet, insluitende Deel IIA. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die oorsprong, betekenis, toepassing en uitwerking van artikel 80A(c)(ii) vas te stel. Die ontwikkeling van artikel 80A(c)(ii) is daarom ondersoek waarna die verordende weergawe daarvan geanaliseer is. ‘n Sleutelaspek van die analise was om die oorsprong van artikel 80A(c)(ii) vas te stel. Hierdie oefening het ‘n verwysbare bron daargestel waarvan afleidings rondom die moontlike toepassing en uitwerking van artikel 80A(c)(ii) gemaak kon word. Hofsake, praktyknotas en artikels rakende die voorgestelde oorsprong is vervolgens ondersoek. Daar is vasgestel dat ‘n ‘misbruik of wangebruik’ van ‘n bepaling neerkom op die frustering of uitbuiting van die doel van ‘n bepaling. Hierdie bewering is bevestig deur bestaande Kanadese presedent. So ‘n interpretasie is egter soortgelyk aan die woorde waarin die konsepweergawe van artikel 80A(c)(ii) uitgedruk is. Dit is daarom in teenstelling met die vermoede dat ‘n wysiging van die woorde (in die verordende weergawe) ‘n gewysigde betekenis impliseer. Die presiese betekenis van die woorde ‘misbruik of wangebruik’ is dus steeds ontwykend. Daar is bevind dat artikel 80A(c)(ii) waarskynlik sy ontstaan in artikel 245 van die Kanadese Inkomstebelastingwet gehad het. Artikel 245(4) van die Kanadese Inkomstebelastingwet is beskou as ‘n effektiewe vergelykende artikel vir artikel 80A(c)(ii), aangesien dit ook oor ‘n sogenaamde misbruik of wangebruik reël beskik. Die toepassing van hierdie reël in die Kanadese belastingmilieu vereis die volgende werkswyse: - Interpreteer (kontekstueel en doeldienend) die bepalings waarop die belastingpligtige steun, ten einde die oogmerk, gees en doel daarvan vas te stel. - Bepaal of die transaksie, deur die belastingpligtige aangegaan, die oogmerk, gees of doel van die bepalings frustreer. Artikel 245(4) het aanleiding gegee tot die herstel van die moderne benadering (‘n kontekstuele en/of doeldienende teorie) tot die interpretasie van wetgewing in Kanada. Daar is bevind dat die verwysing na die ‘gees’ van ‘n bepaling (hierbo) nie aanleiding gee tot die uitbreiding van die moderne benadering tot wetsuitleg nie: dit vereis nie dat die hof moet soek na die innerlike of geestelike betekenis van die wetgewing nie. Aangesien artikel 245(4) as ‘n effektiewe vergelykende artikel vir artikel 80A(c)(ii) beskou is, is daar aangeneem dat dit ‘n soortgelyke uitwerking, as sy Kanadese eweknie, op wetsuitleg in Suid Afrika sal hê. By nadere ondersoek is daar egter bevind dat ‘n moderne benadering tot wetsuitleg alreeds gesaghebbend in Suid Afrika is. Hierdie bevinding het die skrywer tot die gevolgtrekking gebring dat artikel 80A(c)(ii), in beginsel, slegs die saak vir die moderne benadering tot wetsuitleg in Suid Afrika sal versterk. Indien hierdie die doel is wat die wetgewer gehad het met die verordening van artikel 80A(c)(ii), sal dit egter niksseggend wees in die lig van die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid Afrika, wat verorden is in 1996, en ‘n oppermagtige gesag bied vir die moderne benadering tot wetsuitleg. Daar is ook vasgestel dat die onus op die Kommissaris rus om te bewys dat daar ‘n ‘misbruik of wangebruik van die bepalings van hierdie Wet (waarby ingesluit die bepalings van hierdie Deel)’ was, ondanks artikel 82 van die Wet.

Thesis (PhD (Accountancy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die vraagstuk wat in die studie ondersoek word, is of daar groter regsekerheid ten opsigte van die toepassing van die onderskeie inkomste-kapitaal riglyne by ontvangste in die Suid-Afrikaanse inkomstebelastingreg verkry kan word deur: i) die onderliggende gedagterigtings wat die formulering van die betrokke riglyne ten grondslag lê, te ondersoek en toe te pas; ii) die geformuleerde riglyne meer noukeurig te omskryf; iii) die toepassingsveld van die onderskeie riglyne te oorweeg: en iv) 'n psigologiese onderskeid te tref tussen die verskillende tipes subjektiewe ingesteldhede wat 'n individu kan openbaar en die tipe wat vir die inkomste-kapitaalriglyne relevant is, te identifiseer. In die oplossing van bogemelde vraagstuk word aan die volgende aspekte aandag geskenk: i) Die ontwikkeling en toepassing van die riglyne wat die howe in Australie, Nieu-Seeland en Suid-Afrika geformuleer het om 'n onderskeid te tref tussen ontvangste van 'n inkomste- en kapitale aard. Die ontwikkeling van die relevante riglyne in die Australiese en Nieu-Seelandse inkomstebelastingreg word oorweeg omdat: (a) die grondslag van inkomstebelasting in die lande wesenlik ooreenstem met Suid-Afrika; (b) die howe daar na dieselfde brongesag verwys as uitgangspunt vir die ontwikkeling van die riglyne om 'n onderskeid te tref tussen ontvangste van 'n inkomste- en kapitale aard; (c) die howe in Nieu-Seeland na gesag in Suid-Afrika verwys het by die toepassing van sekere riglyne om tussen ontvangste van 'n inkomste- en kapitale aard te onderskei; (d) die howe daar nuwe toepassings vir die bestaande riglyne ontwikkel het en die moontlikheid bestaan dat hierdie toepassings ook in Suid-Afrika aangewend kan word; en (e) die howe in die Suid-Afrikaanse inkomstebelastingregspraak al hoe meer na Australiese regspraak verwys as gesag vir hulle uitsprake. ii) Die standpunt dat die premis wat die riglynformulering deur die howe ten opsigte van die onderskeid tussen ontvangste van inkomste- of kapitale aard ten grandslag lê, inderdaad gebaseer is op 'n klassifikasie van die onderliggende transaksies wat die ontvangste genereer. iii) Die grondslag van voorgemelde riglyne, dit wil sê pas die howe die riglyne toe deur die subjektiewe ingesteldheid van die belastingpligtige in ag te neem, of word die riglyne bloot op objektief waarneembare feite gebaseer wat 'n aanduiding gee van die aard van die ontvangste, of is dit subjektief sowel as objektief. iv) Die relevante tipe subjektiewe ingesteldheid wat deurslaggewend is indien die subjektiewe ingesteldheid van die belastingpligtige 'n belangrike rol speel by die toepassing van die riglyne. 'n Samehangende metodologie word formuleer wat die howe en belastingpraktisyns kan aanwend om op 'n logiese en konsekwente wyse die relevante riglyn te identifiseer en toe te pas om die inkomste- of kapitale aard van die betrokke ontvangste te bepaal. Die aanwending van hierdie metodologie sal tot groter regsekerheid in die inkomstebelastingreg bydra omdat die identifisering en toepassing van die relevante riglyn op die feitestel in oorweging op 'n gestruktureerde en gefundeerde grondslag sal plaasvind. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The problem that will be investigated in this thesis is whether greater legal certainty may be ascertained regarding the application of the various income-capital guidelines to receipts in the South African income tax law by: i) investigating and applying the underlying thought processes that form the basis of the formulation of the guidelines concerned; i) defining the formulated guidelines in more detail; iii) considering the field of application of the various guidelines; and iv) making a psychological distinction between the different types of state of mind of an individual and identifying the type that is relevant for the application of the incomecapital guidelines. In finding a solution for the above problem the following aspects are considered: i) The development and application of the guidelines that the courts have formulated in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa to make a distinction between receipts of an income and capital nature. The development of the guidelines in New Zealand and Australia is relevant because: (a) the basis of income tax in these countries concords primarily with South Africa; (b) the courts there referred to the same authority as a starting-point for the development of the guidelines in order to make a distinction between receipts of an income and capital nature; (c) the courts in New Zealand referred to South African authority to substantiate the application specific guidelines in order to make a distinction between receipts of an income and capital nature; (d) the courts there developed new applications for existing guidelines and the possibility exists that it may also be applied in South Africa; and (e) the courts in South Africa of late refer more and more to Australian case law as authority to support their judgements. il) The proposition that the premise that forms the basis of the guideline formulation by the courts to distinguish between receipts of an income and capital nature is indeed the classification of the underlying transactions that generate receipts. iii) The underlying principle of the various guidelines, that is to say do the courts apply the guidelines by taking cognisance of the subjective state of mind of the taxpayer, or are they merely based on objective surrounding circumstances that give an indication of the nature of the receipt, or is it both subjective and objective. IV) The specific state of mind of a taxpayer that is determinative if subjectivity is a crucial element in the application of particular guidelines. A coherent methodology is formulated that could be applied by courts and tax practitioners in order to identify and apply the relevant guidelines logically and consistently in the determination of the income or capital nature of the receipt under consideration. The application of this methodology will contribute towards greater legal certainty in the income tax law because the identification and application of the relevant guidelines will occur in a structured and systematic manner.

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Damit bei Wegfall einer Person deren Rechts- und Pflichtenstellung weder untergeht noch herrenlos wird, ordnet das zivilrechtliche Gesamtrechtsnachfolgeprinzip den Übergang des Vermögens vom Rechtsvorgänger auf den Gesamtrechtsnachfolger an. In den verwaltungsrechtlichen Gesetzen fehlen derartige allgemeine Regelungen. Dabei ist auch im Hinblick auf verwaltungsrechtliche, insbesondere einkommensteuerrechtliche Positionen darüber zu entscheiden, ob diese mit dem Rechtsvorgänger untergehen oder noch dessen Vermögen beeinflussen oder unmittelbar dem Gesamtrechtsnachfolger zuzurechnen sind. Gerade ein und derselbe einkommensteuerrelevante Umstand kann bei Rechtsvorgänger und Gesamtrechtsnachfolger zu ganz unterschiedlichen Folgen führen. Im ersten, allgemeinen Teil der Arbeit wird ein System erarbeitet, mit dessen Hilfe über das Schicksal verwaltungs- einschließlich steuerrechtlicher Positionen bei Gesamtrechtsnachfolge entschieden werden kann. Im zweiten, einkommensteuerrechtlichen Teil folgt die Probe aufs Exempel: Fallgruppenweise wird untersucht, wie sich der Erbfall als der Urtyp der Gesamtrechtsnachfolge auf die Einkommensteuer des Rechtsvorgängers und des Gesamtrechtsnachfolgers auswirkt. Behandelt werden die „fertigen“ Ansprüche aus dem Einkommensteuerschuldverhältnis bei ledigem und verheiratetem Erblasser sowie die Einkünfte einschließlich der Verluste des Erblassers. Ein besonderes Augenmerk wird auf die sog. unfertigen Rechtslagen gelegt, insbesondere die sog. nachträglichen Einkünfte bei gespaltener Tatbestandsverwirklichung, die sog. stillen Reserven bei Wirtschaftsgütern des Betriebsvermögens, die Wertsteigerungen im Privatvermögen einschließlich Anschaffungsvorgang und vom Rechtsvorgänger ausgelöster Fristen, schließlich auch die einkommensteuerrechtlichen Wahlrechte.

Damit bei Wegfall einer Person deren Rechts- und Pflichtenstellung weder untergeht noch herrenlos wird, ordnet das zivilrechtliche Gesamtrechtsnachfolgeprinzip den Übergang des Vermögens vom Rechtsvorgänger auf den Gesamtrechtsnachfolger an. In den verwaltungsrechtlichen Gesetzen fehlen derartige allgemeine Regelungen. Dabei ist auch im Hinblick auf verwaltungsrechtliche, insbesondere einkommensteuerrechtliche Positionen darüber zu entscheiden, ob diese mit dem Rechtsvorgänger untergehen oder noch dessen Vermögen beeinflussen oder unmittelbar dem Gesamtrechtsnachfolger zuzurechnen sind. Gerade ein und derselbe einkommensteuerrelevante Umstand kann bei Rechtsvorgänger und Gesamtrechtsnachfolger zu ganz unterschiedlichen Folgen führen. Im ersten, allgemeinen Teil der Arbeit wird ein System erarbeitet, mit dessen Hilfe über das Schicksal verwaltungs- einschließlich steuerrechtlicher Positionen bei Gesamtrechtsnachfolge entschieden werden kann. Im zweiten, einkommensteuerrechtlichen Teil folgt die Probe aufs Exempel: Fallgruppenweise wird untersucht, wie sich der Erbfall als der Urtyp der Gesamtrechtsnachfolge auf die Einkommensteuer des Rechtsvorgängers und des Gesamtrechtsnachfolgers auswirkt. Behandelt werden die „fertigen“ Ansprüche aus dem Einkommensteuerschuldverhältnis bei ledigem und verheiratetem Erblasser sowie die Einkünfte einschließlich der Verluste des Erblassers. Ein besonderes Augenmerk wird auf die sog. unfertigen Rechtslagen gelegt, insbesondere die sog. nachträglichen Einkünfte bei gespaltener Tatbestandsverwirklichung, die sog. stillen Reserven bei Wirtschaftsgütern des Betriebsvermögens, die Wertsteigerungen im Privatvermögen einschließlich Anschaffungsvorgang und vom Rechtsvorgänger ausgelöster Fristen, schließlich auch die einkommensteuerrechtlichen Wahlrechte.

This study explores the impact of complexity upon unintentional non-compliance behaviour for personal taxpayers in Australia. This area of research did not appear to have been previously studied in an Australian context and in this respect, the study represents an original contribution. While studies have been conducted both in Australia and overseas, they have generally been directed at other types of compliance behaviour and tend to be inconclusive in their findings. According to the compliance literature, there appeared to be little consensus of opinion on the factors that determined behaviour and appropriate research methods. It emerged that more narrowly-defined studies with stronger research methods offered potential for furthering knowledge in this field. Thus the study focused on one behavioural outcome and one type of taxpayer, using a multi-paradigm research method. Unintentional non-compliance, as an outcome, was selected as it appeared to hold promise for improvements in overall compliance to be readily made, provided its causes were understood. Complexity was considered to be the most likely cause of unintentional non-compliance, and those who prepared their own income tax return, the group likely to be most affected. The study used both a quantitative and qualitative component from which a number of convergent results emerged. These included that the major cause of complexity was the ambiguity of tax laws and the volume of explanatory material required. Further, personal taxpayers were committed to compliance even though they regarded the system as less than fair. Together, complexity and commitment to compliance caused taxpayers to experience unnecessary compliance costs. Where taxpayers completed their own return, complexity resulted in a high level of errors that generally resulted in an overstatement of tax liability. In addition, some taxpayers chose to be over-compliant as a means of dealing with complexity and commitment. It was concluded that complexity compromised the integrity of the Australian income tax system by imposing an unfair burden on personal taxpayers in respect of both tax paid and compliance costs incurred. However, there appeared to be little, if any, financial incentive for the tax authority to address the causes of complexity for personal taxpayers.

No description available.

The provisions of the Income Tax Act relating to capital cost allowances have had and are having a profound impact on the operations of the individual corporation and the national economy as a whole. [...]

No description available.