The minister of finance delivered his budget speech on 23 February 2022; the following is a short summary of the key tax-related matters.

Individual and Trust taxes: New tables adjusted for inflation

Tax rates (year of assessment ending 28 February 2023)

Tax rebates and thresholds 2022/2023

• Other trust – tax rate remains at 45%
• Exemption for interest & dividend income remained unchanged.
• Medical tax credit:
  • First two beneficiaries: increased from R 319 to R 347
  • Each additional beneficiary: increased from R 224 to R 234
• Contribution to tax-free savings account remains at R36,000pm

Disclosure of wealth

Provisional taxpayers with business interests are required to declare their assets (based on their cost) and liabilities in their tax returns each year. To assist with the detection of non‐compliance or fraud through the existence of unexplained wealth, it is proposed that all provisional taxpayers with assets above R50 million be required to declare specified assets and liabilities at market values in their 2023 tax returns. The additional information will also help in determining the levels and structure of wealth holdings.

Corporate taxes

• Reduced tax rate to 27% for years ending on or after 31 March 2023
• Limiting the use of assessed losses to reduce taxable income:
  • For years of assessment ending on or after 31 March, 2023 companies will only be able to claim assessed losses against 80% of taxable income.

Employment tax incentive

Youth unemployment remains high at 56.2 per cent for 20‐ to 29‐year‐olds in the third quarter of 2021. To encourage businesses to employ young people, the government proposes an increase of 50 per cent in the value of the employment tax incentive, effective from 1 March 2022.

The incentive will increase from a maximum of R1 000 to a maximum of R1500 per month in the first 12 months and from R500 to a maximum of R750 in the second 12 months of eligibility. Improved targeting of the incentive will be considered to support jobs for long‐term unemployed work seekers, alongside an expansion of the eligibility criteria for qualifying employees to improve the incentive for small businesses.

Other Tax incentives

Research and development tax incentives are to be extended until 31 December 2023, while the following incentives in the Income Tax Act (1962) will not be renewed when they reach their sunset date.

These include:

• Section 12DA (rolling stock) on 28 February 2022
•  Section 12F (airport and port assets) on 28 February 2022
•  Section 12O (films), which lapsed on 31 December 2021
•  Section 13sept (sale of low‐cost residential units through an interest-free loan) on 28 February 2022.

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