Thesis (MComm)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is becoming increasingly common for lessees to receive contributions from lessors towards leasehold improvements costs. A lessee will be entitled to claim an allowance in terms of section 11(g), where expenditure has actually been incurred in pursuance of an obligation in terms of a lease agreement, and the property is used for the production of income. Obstacles arise where the lessee either receives a payment or benefit, in cash or otherwise from the lessor, either as consideration for the lessee to effect the improvements or as inducement for the lessee to enter into the lease agreement. The nature of these payments or benefits received by the lessee for income tax purposes needs to be assessed with reference to the general principles laid down by the South African courts in respect of the “gross income” definition and international case law dealing with the income tax treatment of similar payments made by the lessor to the lessee. Factors also need to be identified, which should be taken into account to assess the income tax nature of these payments or benefits. The terms of the agreement in terms of which such payments or benefits are made should clearly state the purpose thereof, and a conclusive answer will depend on the particular circumstances and facts of each case. The interaction between a payment or benefit received by a lessee and the availability of a leasehold improvements allowance in terms of section 11(g) is a complex matter and it remains to be seen how South African courts will deal with these issues. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit raak toenemend algemeen dat huurders ʼn bydrae tot huur verbetering koste vanaf verhuurders ontvang. ʼn Huurder sal geregtig wees om ʼn artikel 11(g) toelaag te eis, waar onkostes werklik aangegaan is ter voldoening aan ʼn verpligting ingevolge die huurooreenkoms en die eiendom word gebruik vir die voortbrenging van inkomste. Struikelblokke ontstaan waar die huurder ʼn bedrag of voordeel, in kontant of andersins ontvang vanaf die verhuurder, as vergoeding vir die aanbring van verbeteringe of as beweegrede om die huurooreenkoms te sluit. Die inkomstebelastingaard van hierdie bedrae of voordele ontvang moet beoordeel word met verwysing na die algemene beginsels ontwikkel deur die Suid-Afrikaanse howe met betrekking tot die “bruto inkomste” definisie en internasionale hofsake wat handel met die inkomstebelastinghantering van soortgelyke betalings vanaf die verhuurder aan die huurder. Faktore moet ook identifiseer word wat inag geneem moet word ten einde die aard van hierdie bedrae of voordele vas te stel. Die terme van die ooreenkoms ingevolge waarvan die bedrag of voordeel ontvang word, moet duidelik die doel daarvan uiteensit. ʼn Beslissende antwoord sal afhang van die spesifieke omstandighede en feite van elke geval. Die interaksie tussen ʼn betaling of voordeel ontvang deur die huurder en die beskikbaarheid van ʼn huurverbeteringe toelaag ingevolge artikel 11(g) is ʼn komplekse onderwerp en daar sal nog gesien moet word hoe die Suid-Afrikaanse howe hierdie kwessies sal hanteer.

Taxpayers who operate from leased premises often incur significant costs in order to make the premises suitable for their specific trade. For accounting purposes such costs are generally capitalised as leasehold improvements and depreciated over the lease term. In practice many taxpayers proceed to follow the same approach for tax purposes by claiming an allowance for wear and tear on leasehold expenditure over the term of the lease. However, such expenditure is far more complex and taxpayers often do not properly understand the appropriate tax treatment of such costs. The tax treatment of expenditure incurred on leased premises is determined by a number of legislative sections, each with its own provisos and requirements. The applicable section under which a taxpayer should claim a deduction for expenditure on leased premises depends on the type of expenditure incurred by the taxpayer. In this study a framework was developed for determining the correct tax treatment of expenditure incurred by lessees on leased premises. Different types of expenditure that lessees had incurred were identified in three case studies. The framework was evaluated by applying it to these types of expenditure identified, and was found to be of considerable practical use. / Afrikaans: Belastingpligtiges wat hul besighede vanuit gehuurde persele bedryf, moet dikwels aansienlike uitgawes aangaan ten einde die perseel geskik te maak vir hul spesifieke tipe besigheid. Vir rekenkundige doeleindes word hierdie uitgawes oor die algemeen as huurverbeteringe gekapitaliseer en oor die huurtermyn gedepresiëer. Vir belastingdoeleindes volg belastingpligtiges in die praktyk dikwels dieselfde benadering, deur ’n waardeverminderingstoelaag op huuruitgawes oor die huurtermyn te eis. Die toepaslike belastinghantering van sulke uitgawes is egter meer gekompliseerd en belastingpligtiges verstaan dit dikwels nie. Die belastinghantering van uitgawes aangegaan by huurpersele word bepaal deur ’n aantal wetsartikels, elk met sy eie voorwaardes en vereistes. Die toepaslike artikel waaronder ’n belastingpligtige ’n aftrekking vir uitgawes op huurpersele kan eis, hang af van die tipe uitgawe wat aangegaan is. In hierdie studie is ’n raamwerk ontwikkel wat huurders gebruik om die korrekte belastinghantering van uitgawes op huurpersele aangegaan, te bepaal. Verskillende tipes uitgawes wat huurders aangegaan het, is in drie gevallestudies geïdentifiseer. Die raamwerk is geëvalueer deur dit op die geïdentifiseerde tipes uitgawes toe te pas, en daar is gevind dat dit heelwat praktiese waarde het. / Mini Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Taxation / MCom / Unrestricted