Tax changes to curb abuse

Treasury proposes changes based on a case involving former president Jacob Zuma’s records.

- Amanda Visser

Following several court defeats, notably in the Constitutional Court (ConCourt), National Treasury has proposed several changes to align current legislation with these court judgments.

It has also proposed several anti-avoidance measures to curb abusive behaviour by certain taxpayers in continued efforts to avoid further tax leakage.

A notable proposed amendment relates to a clampdown on "aggressive tax schemes" under the Employment Tax Incentive (ETI). Treasury is proposing punitive measures to address the "abusive behaviour" of certain taxpayers.

Government introduced the incentive in 2013 to encourage employers to hire young work seekers. The incentive will expire in 2029.

In the Draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill, Treasury noted that the incentive reduces the cost of hiring young people through a cost-sharing mechanism with the government while leaving the wage the employee receives unaffected. Since its inception, the government has been amending the ETI Act to curb abuse of the incentive through aggressive tax schemes.