The Institute is proud to announce that the second National Tax Conference will be held in South Africa on 8 and 9 September in Johannesburg, with distinguished local and international speakers. The main theme of the conference is Tax Administration in an African Context and is a must for any tax practitioners who engage with SARS.

Speakers include Proff. Duncan Bentley (Australia), Chris Evans (Australia), Jackie Arendse, Madeleine Stiglingh, Henry Vorster, Lynette Olivier, Dr. Beric Croome, Veli Ntombela and Stiaan Klue.

For more information click here.

There are only 400 seats available. Register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!

Yours truly,
Stiaan Klue
Chief Executive

The Income Tax Act, Act 58 of 1962, as amended, imposes various penalties on a taxpayer for default, omission, error or the late submission of tax returns. Section 75 creates various offences under the Act, for example, if a taxpayer submits a late return, fails to register as a tax practitioner for the relevant year of assessment, fails to submit any return or document so required or defaults in a material sense as is envisaged by that section.

Section 13sept of the Income Tax Act allows for amounts owing by employees to whom qualifying low-cost residential units have been sold by their employers on or after 21 October 2008 to be deductible.

In September 2006, the second respondent issued a warrant in terms of section 6(1) of the Counterfeit Goods Act 37 of 1997. The warrant authorised the seizure, removal, detention and collection of 5 015 pairs of beach sandals incorporating and embodying a copyright design to which Crocs Inc was the copyright holder. Moresport successfully brought an application in the high court for an order setting aside the warrant, leading to the present appeal.

The LG (applicant) imported plasma display screens, which it contended were video monitors. SARS (respondent) contended that the screens were television sets, or incomplete television sets. As such, the parties were in dispute about the correct tariff classification of the products for the purpose of customs duties. The appeal was directed against the Commissioner's determination that the tariff heading was 8528.12.30.

The Institute identified the need for a qualification for South African tax practitioners to obtain recognition in the international tax community.

Tax practitioners can report operational and system issues by completing the Tax Practitioners' Issues List. The Institute represent practitioners on the SARS National Stakeholders meetings where operational and system issues are discussed.

The SARS contact centre's operating hours for filing season has been extended as follows: · August 17- September 11 - Open until 7pm · September 14 -18 (manual submission deadline) ...

Since the launch of our electronic filing facility, eFiling, in 2004, about 2 million South African taxpayers have migrated from manual filing to electronic filing. There has been a positive assessment of the eFiling service from the South African public, and based on the positive feedback we received, SARS is now embarking on increasing the number of eFilers for Value-Added Tax (VAT).

On 10 July 2009 schedule 3 to the Customs and Excise Act was amendmended by notice in the Gazette.

SARS updated the following guides: · Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Guide: Completion of Employer Registration Application Form ...

On 10 July 2009 schedule 1 to the Customs and Excise Act was amendmended by notice in the Gazette.

On 8 July 2009 in the Hague, the Cayman Islands and the Netherlands signed a bilateral agreement for the exchange of information for tax purposes and an additional protocol, bringing to 11 the number of such agreements entered into by the Cayman Islands.

Belgium has signed protocols to its tax conventions with Luxembourg,Singapore, San Marino, and the Seychelles as well as a tax convention with the Isle of Man and a tax information exchange agreement with Monaco.

SWITZERLAND says it will seize UBS data to stop the US justice department pursuing a US court order seeking the identities of 52000 American account holders in a crackdown on tax evaders.