by VDT Attorneys | Nov 24, 2025 | Reportable Arrangements, SARS, SARS disclosure rules, Tax, Tax Advice, Tax planning
A reportable arrangement is any transaction or structure that SARS believes could give rise to unusual or significant tax benefits. These include arrangements that result in a tax benefit of more than R5 million, the use of hybrid instruments that look like debt but...
by VDT Attorneys | Nov 12, 2025 | High-net-worth individuals, Mandatory balance sheet reporting, SARS, Tax collection efficiency, Tax planning
SARS established the High Wealth Individual Unit (HWIU) in 2021, recognising the need for a dedicated division to monitor and engage with affluent taxpayers who often possess complex financial structures, both locally and offshore. The HWIU forms part of SARS’s...
by VDT Attorneys | Jun 30, 2025 | Owing SARS money, SARS, SARS debt compromise agreement, Tax, Tax Advice, Tax planning
When a taxpayer is unable to pay its tax obligation to the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”), the taxpayer either has the choice to enter a deferral payment arrangement wherein they can arrange for a deferred payment plan, or the taxpayer may enter into a debt...
by VDT Attorneys | Apr 16, 2025 | Emigration, Financial Emigration, Tax, Tax Advisory, Tax planning
A pivotal aspect of successful financial emigration is the change in tax residency. South Africa employs two main criteria to assess tax residency: the Ordinary Residency Test and the Physical Presence Test. Ordinary Residency Test: This test determines whether a...
by VDT Attorneys | Feb 21, 2024 | Donation, Donation tax, Tax, Tax Advisory, Tax liability, Tax planning, Wealth management
For tax purposes, a donation is defined as “any gratuitous disposal of property including any gratuitous waiver or renunciation of a right”. This means that the donation must be free or at no charge and should the donee (recipient) who receives a donation give...
by VDT Attorneys | Jan 16, 2024 | Tax, Tax avoidance, Tax evasion, Tax liability, Tax planning
In this article we take a look at what exactly is meant by the terms tax evasion and tax avoidance, the differences between the two, how one determines which is which, and factors to look out for that should immediately ring alarm bells. The Westminster DoctrineThe...
