Climate change is a reality. It is evident in the changes in the weather patterns and the consequences thereof. The South African government seems to be committed to sustainability and has a number of market instruments in place to reach the targets that were set at the Kyoto Protocol. However, considerable transformation is needed to change the behaviour of businesses, to green the economy and to encourage sustainability. This study examined the different market instruments available by the government to promote/enforce sustainability. It came in the form of environmental taxes and incentives. The aim was to understand the mechanism behind these instruments by reviewing other literature. A conclusion was reached that neither would drive the change that is required to address the problem of sustainable behaviour of businesses. A local listed company was selected and researched to identify ways in which the business uses by-products in a resourceful way that is both good profitability as well as the environment. The study was extended to a similar foreign company and further innovative ways of greening the economy were identified. A conclusion was reached that greening the economy can be economically viable as well as sustainable. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / Taxation / unrestricted

Diploma thesis is concerned about personal income tax allowance, especially focused on child tax credit. Purpose if this diploma thesis is to analyze legislation of tax allowances in the Czech Republic and analyze the possible impacts of increasing tax allowance in the Czech Republic as well. First part of this thesis is concerned about tax legislation with regards to child tax credit within OECD countries. Second part of this thesis is concerned about tax allowance legislation in the Czech Republic and its changes for the year 2015. Third part of this thesis is focused on practical calculation in case of increasing child tax credit for the year 2015 and in case of intended increase of child tax credit for year 2016 within employees of a small company.

This thesis consists of an introductory chapter and four self-contained essays on financial performance and capital structure. Essay I assesses the strength of strategic inputs into profitability among firms within several sub-sectors within the industrial service sector in the U.S. and Sweden. In this study we employ an ordinary least square regression. The results, coupled with structural observations on production sectors, suggest that significant differences may indeed occur in both productivity and pricing in the two systems, i.e. the U.S. and Sweden. Essay II estimates the impact of operating costs and cost of debt on revenue, profit generation and asset retention in public housing companies in Sweden. A general conclusion to draw from the empirical results is that expentitures on consolidated maintenance is not only associated with short-term rental revenues, but undoubtedly long-term viability as well. Further, first difference results suggested that negotiated rents produced operating profits that kept pace with revenues over the time period of study. Essay III examines the impact of selected financial and contextual variables on managers’ decisions to appropriate funds to tax allowances in small firms in Sweden. The motive for appropriating to the tax allocation reserve is twofold. First, the tax allocation reserve is intended to lower the tax levy on investments financed with internally generated income. Second, it creates a possibility for firms to smooth income over a number of years. The results, from the logistic regression, suggest that financial performance, financial position and prior appropriations do impact on managers’ decision to appropriate. Essay IV examines the association between the two sides of the balance sheet based on financial statement information from small firms in Sweden The results of the multivariate canonical correlation analysis provides some support to the hypotheses that firms develop patterns, in their use of assets and their financing.

M.Comm. (South African & International Taxation) / The capital allowance mentioned in section 11(e) of Income Tax Act 58 of 1962 (“the Act”) refers to machinery, plant, implements, utensils and articles, the value of which may have diminished by reason of wear and tear or depreciation. The machinery, plant, and articles in question, often accede to other assets of a permanent nature such as immovable buildings. This is a problem in South Africa because the wear and tear allowance is lost when machinery, plant or articles lose their identities upon being absorbed into assets of a permanent nature such as a building. Buildings and other structures of a permanent nature do not qualify for the wear and tear allowance in terms of section 11(e) of the Act. This article investigates the uncertainties with regard to interpreting what constitutes “buildings, or other structures or works of a permanent nature” for the purposes of the prohibition of wear and tear allowances contained in section 11(e)(ii) of the Act.

This paper discusses the development of income tax of employees. The aim of this work is to model the real impact of legislative changes in the Czech Republic on the actual tax burden of employees with different incomes and propose optimal solution of tax calculation. The modelling is based on data containing gross salary, applicable tax allowances and tax reliefs for each employee of concrete production company in 2012. For the other years, the data are modelled from the given set using inflation. For comparison of the actual tax burden I use the effective tax rate, implicit tax rate and net implicit tax rate. The results of the calculations show that the tax deductions and the minimum and maximum base for social and health security contributions have the biggest effect on the tax rate. In the absence of tax deductions, the real tax burden for most employees according to the effective tax rate would have been almost constant over time. In fact, in terms of the effective tax rate the tax burden has declined slightly thanks to an increase in tax deductions. The results also show that the biggest differences in tax burden among employees are due to the (non) application of tax deductions.

This Master´s thesis covers the subject of supplementary pension insurance and life insurance contributions as new benefits for employees of the DISTEP a.s. company. Master´s thesis comprises a complex project for integration of supplementary pension and life insurance into the current employee benefit system in the company, analysis of benefits currently provided and advancement recommendations.