Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has unveiled personal-tax cuts totalling R8,4-billion across all income brackets in the budget for the 2007/08 financial year.
The relief, which is being implemented through upward adjustments to all of the income-tax bracket levels, has been made possible by the R29-billion in revenue overruns experienced in the current 2006/07 financial year.
Addressing MPs on Wednesday during his 2007/08 budget presentation, Manuel said the changes to the personal income-tax brackets provide relief to compensate for the negative effects of inflation on taxpayers and to partially offset the effects of changes to the taxation of medical aid contributions and car allowances.
“I appeal to taxpayers to use this relief to first settle their debts or save, rather than for consumption,” he said.
The income-tax threshold for people under 65 will be raised by 7,5% to R43,000, individual income-tax brackets will be widened, and the upper tax bracket will be raised from R400Â 000 to R450Â 000.
The primary rebate will be raised to R7Â 740 from R7Â 200, Manuel said, while the secondary rebate would rise to R4Â 680 from R4Â 500.
At the same time, the income-tax threshold for taxpayers aged 65 and over will be increased to R69Â 000 from R65Â 000 currently, an increase of 6,1%.
Tax-free savings thresholds — interest and dividends — will also be raised to R18Â 000 from R16Â 500 for taxpayers under 65 and to R26Â 000 from R24Â 500 for taxpayers over 65.
It was proposed that the annual exclusion threshold for capital gains or losses be increased to R15Â 000 from R12Â 500.
The Treasury said the sale of shares held for more than three years will be treated as capital gains. — I-Net Bridge