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/ 22 February 2008

What it means for your pocket

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This year’s tax relief of R7,2-billion on personal income tax was lower than those of the past two years and provides only for inflation relief rather than any real tax benefit after inflation.

Changes to other taxes affecting individuals, such as capital-gains tax, estate duty and exemption on interest income, were all inflation related and offer very little real change.

In this budget, individual taxpayers will be the main source of revenue for the government, followed by value-added tax (VAT). Taxes on individuals account for R168,5-billion of revenue, R13-billion more than anticipated. This is because of rising employment and real salary increases, as well as the fact that 279 862 people joined the tax net.

A third of the benefit goes to people earning less than R150 000 a year and 28% to those in the R150 000 to R250 000 bracket.

So what do the tax cuts mean for you?

Your pay slip

Personal income tax:

  • Earning R46 000 or less a year (R3 800 a month): you will no longer pay income tax, saving R540 a year.

  • Earning R100 000 a year (R8 300 a month): you will pay R540 less tax a year.

  • Earning R200 000 a year (R16 600 a month): you will pay R1 955 less tax a year.

  • Earning R500 000 or more a year (R41 600): you will pay R4 655 less tax a year (R387 a month).

  • If you are 65 or older, you will pay no income tax if you earn less than R75 000 a year. If you earn up to R100 000 you will pay R900 less tax a year.

    • Medical scheme contributions (7,6% increase in tax relief)

  • The first R570 of contributions per the two main beneficiaries will be tax free.

  • The first R345 of contributions for each additional beneficiary will be tax free.

  • A family of four will now have a tax deduction of R1 830 for their medical-scheme contribution.

    • Travel allowance

    The tax tables will be adjusted for inflation including higher interest rates and fuel prices.

    Site tax

    Site payments will be refunded if an individual does not work the full year and therefore earns less than the annual tax threshold.

    Your savings (6% adjustment)

  • Under 65: You will not pay tax on the first R19 000 of interest income.

  • Over 65: You will not pay tax on the first R27 500 of interest income.

  • Tax-free income from foreign interest and dividends now R3 200.

  • You will not pay capital-gains tax on gains of R16 000 or less.

    • The move from secondary tax on companies to dividend tax will not affect your tax return as it will be done on a withholding tax basis.

    Estate duty tax exemption remains at R3,5-million and the exclusion threshold for capital-gains tax on primary residence remains at R1,5-million.

    Your retirement

    After substantial changes to retirement taxation last year, no new measures were announced, but several proposals are on the table:

  • simplify the taxation of other withdrawals from retirement funds;

  • divorce settlement payments made by retirement funds will be taxable in the hands of the non-member spouse;

  • consolidation of tax-relief rates by employees and employers; and

  • an overall cap to limit the tax benefits.

    • This all forms part of the ongoing pension-fund reform.

    Your lifestyle

    Petrol:

  • Fuel levy: Increase of six cents to R1,27 a litre for petrol and six cents to R1,11 a litre of diesel.

  • Road accident levy: Increase of five cents a litre for both petrol and diesel.

  • Total increase in petrol tax: 11c to R1,73 a litre.

    • Sins:

  • Beer will cost an extra five cents a can (total tax of 72c a can).

  • Wine will cost an additional 12c a litre (total tax R1,84 a litre).

  • Cigarettes will cost an additional 66c a packet (total tax R6,82).

    • If you drive 1 000km a month, drink a six-pack of beer and one and a half bottles of wine a week, and smoke a pack a day, you will pay an extra R29 a month in taxes, bringing your total taxes for drinking, driving and smoking to R366.

    Interesting changes

    A major contention has arisen in the past when an employee received a salary or a bonus as an incentive to return to work after, for example, maternity or study leave. If the employee did not return, he or she would have to repay the company, including the tax that was paid on behalf of the employee. This is obviously unfair and the South African Revenue Service (Sars) says “this failure to allow deductions for these repayments needs to be remedied as a matter of fairness”.

    Sars will be more lenient also when it comes to the personal use of laptops and cellphones. As many companies are providing employees with these items to allow them to work from home, the Treasury acknowledges that they will incidentally be used for private use and, as long as it is not abused, it will not impose a fringe-benefit tax.

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