Last month’s Budget 3.0 withdrew the contentious proposed VAT changes. This resulted in inflation-linked fuel levy increases of 16c for petrol and 15c for diesel, from 4 June. Other tax proposals from March’s Budget – including static personal tax thresholds, reduced transfer duties, and sin tax increases – remain unchanged. The tax measures contained in […]
Category Archives: Economy
07
Apr
Apr
The proposed VAT increase of 0.5% in 2025 and another 0.5% in 2026 is the big news from Budget Speech 2025. The increase is strongly opposed by political parties within and outside the GNU – but it is only one way in which individual and corporate taxpayers will bear the brunt of another substantial Budget […]
04
Mar
Mar
There were few surprises and little in the form of good news in Budget Speech 2024. Although there were no major tax proposals and no major tax rate hikes announced, individual taxpayers will bear the brunt of a R15 billion Budget shortfall, while multinational corporations will pay a global minimum corporate tax, and plans are […]
09
Feb
Feb
From damaged equipment, and staff and machinery sitting unproductively for hours, to numerous missed deadlines, there is no doubt that constant loadshedding is taking a heavy toll on South Africa’s small to medium businesses. With no short-term solution in sight, it’s clear that to survive and hopefully thrive South Africa’s entrepreneurs are going to have […]
08
Sep
Sep
It’s no secret that economies around the world are struggling. Increased inflation, booming petrol prices and erratic stock markets are everywhere, and South Africa is not immune. Recently an economist at Oxford Economics Africa, Jee-A van der Linde, was quoted in the daily Maverick speaking about South Africa specifically. “Real gross domestic product [GDP] contracted […]
25
Feb
Feb
Calling it a “good story to tell”, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced, in his first Budget Speech, welcome respite from tax increases, tax relief of R5.2 billion for individuals and businesses, as well as further measures to support businesses in their economic recovery. These include no increase in the fuel levy, and adjusted tax brackets […]
27
Jan
Jan
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has invited the public to share suggestions on the 2022 Budget he is expected to deliver on Wednesday 23 February 2022. The Ministry of Finance: “As usual, the budget allocation always aims to strike a balance between competing national spending priorities … suggestions must pertain to what should government be spending […]
29
Sep
Sep
The South African economy could take as long as seven years to get back to the size of R5.1 trillion it was at the end of 2019 before Covid-19 and the national lockdown. This forecast is according to Citadel chief economist Maarten Ackerman, who expressed this view during an interview. Long way back Christopher Loewald, […]
26
May
May
“I Have Bad News and – No, Actually I Just Have Bad News” (Rick Riordan) In the current year it has taken the average South African 126 days to pay off their taxes and only from the next day did the taxpayer then work for him or herself. This date fell on 6 May this […]
06
May
May
“Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future” (Niels Bohr) Pandemics kill more people than wars – the introduction of the Black Death plague led to 14th Century Europe losing 40% of its population within two years. What will our world look like when normal life begins to return? Predicting the future can […]