Magister Economicae - MEcon / Countries reform their tax systems to improve economic and administrative efficiency, the impact on income distribution and their revenue-raising capacity. Globalisation has also affected the fiscal autonomy of countries and resulted in the reality of tax competition. The South African tax authorities have made significant changes to the tax system in over the past 20 years. The first phase occurred after the publication of the Margo Commission’s report in 1987 and the second phase followed the work done by the Katz Commission since 1996. The objectives of the reforms included the improvement of tax administration and collection, a re-evaluation of the efficiency and equity aspects of the different taxes, the broadening of the tax base, and most important, to bring the South African tax system in line with changing international tax practise.The main objectives of this study are to give a descriptive overview of the reforms, to investigate the economic rationale behind the reforms and to answer the question of whether the objectives of the reforms were actually achieved. The study fills an important void in the South African literature as it is the first comprehensive overview of the tax reforms since the 1990s.The nature of the study is qualitative and investigative. An overview of the theoretical literature is presented together with some evidence from developing countries. To determine whether the objectives were achieved, descriptive statistics are presented using secondary data from South African Revenue Service (SARS); National Treasury, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB). The main findings are that the establishment of SARS contributed significantly to the administrative efficiency and revenue-raising capacity of the tax system. The taxing of fringe benefits under the personal income tax, the introduction of capital gains tax (CGT) and the residence-based principle contributed to the broadening of the tax base. The decrease of marginal rates of personal income tax (PIT) to be more in line with the rate on company income decreased the possibility of tax arbitrage. The phasing out of the secondary tax on companies together with the decrease of the rate of company income tax (CIT) increased the attractiveness of South Africa for capital-exporting countries. Significant tax relief to middle and lower-income earners over various years improved the equity impact. However it did not improve the position of the really poor, who are not liable for PIT. The increasing contribution of value-added tax (VAT) compensated to the decreasing contribution of trade taxes; the fact that the VAT rate has stayed constant, since 1993 is an indication of the unpopularity of the tax.

M.Com. (Business Management) / This study examines the system of value-added tax as replacement for the retail sales tax which is currently in operation in South Africa. It furthermore sets out to provide an insight into the potential local application thereof. The following aspects were discussed: (a) The current state of indirect taxation in South Africa under the retail sales tax regime. (b) The origin and development of the value-added tax system worldwide. (c) The replacement of indirect taxes through a system of tax on value added. (d) The development of value-added tax subsequent to the initial recommendation by the Margo commission. (e) A number of problem areas specifically relating to the structure of the proposed tax, e.g. foodstuffs, farming activities and capital goods. (f) The establishment of a clearing mechanism for the BLS and TBCV countries in a Southern African Customs Union. (g) General administrative provisions under a value-added tax and a proposed audit under the system. The discussion indicates that the retail sales tax is not conforming to initial objectives (at least in theory) and the government is of the opinion that value-added tax will rectify this situation...

M.Com. (South African and International Taxation) / Value-added tax (hereafter referred to as VAT) is an „indirect tax‟. Clegg, D (2006: 1) explains this to mean that: “the person who bears the tax is assessed not directly by the SARS but indirectly through the taxation of transactions into which he enters”. The name „value-added tax‟ is the difference between the output tax collected and input tax paid. This is, essentially, tax on the value added before the product or service is received for final consumption. The SABC became a registered VAT vendor when VAT was introduced in 1991. There has been a contentious battle for many years between SARS and the SABC on whether or not a „renewal notice‟, issued to potential television licence holders by the SABC, as a reminder to licence holders to renew their television licence, serves as an invoice for the purpose of determining the tax liability payable by the SABC in terms of the Value-Added Tax Act No 89 of 1991, as amended (hereafter referred to as the VAT Act).

Residential property developers face an ever-increasing problem of disposing of their newly built residential premises. The problem exists because of an oversupply of residential property and a decrease in property sales over the past few years. The VAT consequences of such a change in use of a property could have catastrophic implications for the property developer in terms of cashflow. In the 2010 budget speech, the Minister of Finance of South Africa acknowledged that harsh VAT legislation exists. The aim of this study is to determine a way of amending South African VAT legislation to accommodate property developers during the period when residential properties are temporarily let out. It was concluded that South Africa’s current VAT legislation with regard to change in use of residential properties is far worse than that of New Zealand and Australia, but that the proposed amendments will offer some degree of relief. The situation, even after implementing the amendments to legislation, will still not give sufficient relief and another solution is put forward for consideration. / Residensiële eiendomsontwikkelaars staar toenemende probleme met die verkoop van hulle nuutgeboude residensiële eiendomme in die gesig. Die probleem het ontstaan weens die toenemende beskikbaarheid van residensiële eiendomme in die mark, sowel as die afname in die eiendomsmark die afgelope paar jaar. Die BTW-gevolge van sodanige verandering in gebruik van ʼn eiendom mag katastrofiese gevolge vir die eiendomsontwikkelaar inhou wat betref kontantvloei. In die 2010-begrotingsrede het die Minister van Finansies van Suid-Afrika erken dat problematiese BTW wetgewing bestaan. Die doel van hierdie studie in om te bepaal in watter mate die Suid-Afrikaanse BTW-wetgewing verander kan word ten einde eiendomsontwikkelaars te akkommodeer gedurende die periode waarin hulle eiendomme tydelik uitverhuur word. Daar is gevolglik vasgestel dat Suid-Afrika se BTW-wetgewing met betrekking tot die verandering in gebruik deur eiendomsontwikkelaars erger is as die wetgewing in Nieu-Seeland en Australië, maar dat die voorgestelde wetswysigings ietwat van ʼn verligting sal bied. Die situasie, selfs ná die implementering van die wetswysigings, sal steeds nie voldoende verligting bied nie en ʼn ander oplossing word voorgestel. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Taxation / Unrestricted

The third sphere of government (Local Government) has been persistently clouded by unfavourable Annual Financial Statement (AFS) audit reports. This results in local government losing credibility and its stakeholders losing confidence in the institutions or municipalities. In-depth analysis of the root cause of this dilemma is an opportunity for the municipality to reorganise its house and redeem its dignity and credibility to its stakeholders through addressing the identified challenges. The importance of the study can be attributed to the need to investigate the root causes of unfavourable audit opinion and recommend possible remedies that can assist municipalities to improve their audit report outcomes which in turn will improve the confidence of its stakeholders. The primary objective of the study was to investigate variables that impact on the audit report outcomes on annual financial statements of the municipalities that are within Alfred Nzo District (AND) Jurisdiction, including Alfred Nzo District Municipality (ANDM). This was achieved through investigating the root causes of the audit report outcomes with specific focus on the relationship that exists between the management role and audit outcomes of the Alfred Nzo District Municipalities. This was measured by the municipality’s leadership, governance, internal controls and human capital management. Convenient sampling was used wherein 150 questionnaires (30 per municipality) were sent out to the selected employees in all the municipalities in the Alfred Nzo District. Out of the questionnaires that were sent out, 103 responses were received. These were analysed to draw findings, conclusion and recommendations. The empirical results of the study revealed that there is strong evidence that leadership, governance and human capital management have a positive influence on the municipality’s AFS audit report outcomes. It also revealed that there is overwhelming evidence that internal controls have a positive influence on the municipality’s AFS audit report outcomes. The study recommends how leadership, governance, internal controls and human capital management must be improved. It also provides future research recommendations to improve this study.

This dissertation deals with the effect of value-added tax on small to medium-sized developers of residential properties in South Africa. Firstly, the way value-added tax is applied to residential properties in South Africa was established. It was ascertained that no special concessions exist with regard to housing. Secondly, the application of value-added tax to residential properties in the United Kingdom was discussed. It was ascertained that supplies relating to new residential premises are zero-rated. Thirdly, the application of goods and services tax to residential properties in Canada was discussed. Canadian goods and services tax and harmonious sales tax legislation contains a broad range of special concessions relating to residential property developments. The harmonious sales tax which applies in some provinces, is a combination of goods and services tax and a provincial sales tax. Fourthly, the way goods and services tax is applied to residential property developments in Australia was determined. Australian legislation provides for a margin scheme to be applied to the development of residential properties. In terms of the margin scheme, goods and services tax is payable on the basis of profit rather than turnover. Transfer duty as applied in South Africa was examined as an alternative to the value-added tax being applied on residential properties developed by developers registered for value-added tax purposes. The legislation with regard to developers of residential properties registered for value-added tax, goods and services tax and harmonious sales tax purposes was measured against the principles of taxation. On the basis of these results, an alternative to the current application of value-added tax relating to developers registered for value-added tax purposes in South Africa was proposed that would be in line with that of the selected countries. / Economics / M. Com. (Accounting)

Tyrimo objektas – pridėtinės vertės mokestis. Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti pridėtinės vertės mokesčio pokyčių įtaką valstybės pajamų formavimo kontekste. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1) atskleisti mokesčio svarbą valstybės pajamoms bei aptarti pridėtinės vertės mokesčio vertinimo modelius, išskiriant jų taikymo galimybes; 2) parengti pridėtinės vertės mokesčio vertinimo metodiką; 3) įvertinti Lietuvoje taikomo pridėtinės vertės mokesčio prognozavimo modelio pakeitimo tikslesniu modeliu galimybes ir šio pokyčio įtaką valstybės pajamoms bei sumodeliuoti galimas mokesčio tobulinimo kryptis. Tyrimo metodai: mokslinės literatūros sisteminės, lyginamosios, loginės analizės metodai, apibendrinimas, sintezės, statistinis grupavimas, vienfaktorė, daugiafaktorė, koreliacinė, lyginamoji analizės, grafinis vaizdavimas. Tyrimo rezultatai: o pirmoje darbo dalyje išnagrinėta pridėtinės vertės mokesčio reikšmė valstybes pajamoms, nustatytos apmokestinimo principų ir uždavinių suderinamumo problemos bei pateikti pridėtinės vertės mokesčio vertinimo modeliai; o antroje darbo dalyje pateikta mokesčio vertinimo metodika; o trečioje darbo dalyje pateikta pridėtinės vertės mokesčio Lietuvoje analizė, įvertintas pridėtinės vertės mokestis Lietuvoje, pateiktas mokesčio modeliavimas bei pasiūlytas naujas pridėtinės vertės mokesčio prognozavimo modelis. / Objectof the research – value-added tax. Aim of the research – to establish the impact of value-added tax changes in the context of revenue formation. Objectives of the research: 1) to reveal the importance of value-added tax in state revenue and to discuss the models of value-added tax evaluation; 2) to develop the methodology of value-added tax evaluation; 3) to evaluate the possibilities to replace the model used in Lithuania with more accurate model and the influence of this change on state income, to model possible trends of value-added tax policy development. Research methods: systematic, comparative, logical analysis of scientific literature, summary and synthesis, statistical grouping, correlation, graphical representation. Research results: o The first part of the research analyzes the importance of value-added tax in state income, identifies problems of taxation principles and objectives‘ compatibility and provides models of value-added tax evaluation. o The second part of the research presents the methodology of value-added tax evaluation. o The third part of the research analyzes value-added tax in Lithuania, evaluates value-added tax in Lithuania and proposes new model of value-added tax forecasting.

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This dissertation deals with the effect of value-added tax on small to medium-sized developers of residential properties in South Africa. Firstly, the way value-added tax is applied to residential properties in South Africa was established. It was ascertained that no special concessions exist with regard to housing. Secondly, the application of value-added tax to residential properties in the United Kingdom was discussed. It was ascertained that supplies relating to new residential premises are zero-rated. Thirdly, the application of goods and services tax to residential properties in Canada was discussed. Canadian goods and services tax and harmonious sales tax legislation contains a broad range of special concessions relating to residential property developments. The harmonious sales tax which applies in some provinces, is a combination of goods and services tax and a provincial sales tax. Fourthly, the way goods and services tax is applied to residential property developments in Australia was determined. Australian legislation provides for a margin scheme to be applied to the development of residential properties. In terms of the margin scheme, goods and services tax is payable on the basis of profit rather than turnover. Transfer duty as applied in South Africa was examined as an alternative to the value-added tax being applied on residential properties developed by developers registered for value-added tax purposes. The legislation with regard to developers of residential properties registered for value-added tax, goods and services tax and harmonious sales tax purposes was measured against the principles of taxation. On the basis of these results, an alternative to the current application of value-added tax relating to developers registered for value-added tax purposes in South Africa was proposed that would be in line with that of the selected countries. / Economics / M. Com. (Accounting)

The subject of this thesis is particularly the issue of domestic reverse charge procedure as a tool in the fight against tax evasion on value added tax (VAT) and its planned expansion. The reverse charge is not the only tool in the fight against evasion of VAT in the Czech Republic. The thesis therefore analyzed and used other tools. These instruments are inspection report, institute an unreliable payer, liability for unpaid VAT and EET. In conclusion, there is the comparison of individual instruments.