What’s New
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18 November 2022 – Draft Public Notice: Listing further information that must be included on a receipt issued in terms of section 18A(2)(a) of the Act
The South African Revenue Service has issued the draft public notice on the additional information to be included in the Section 18A receipts issued by approved entities. The Explanatory Note can be accessed here for more information. Please note that comments on the public notice closes on 05 December 2022, and that comments should be submitted to Adele Collins at [email protected].
- 30 September 2022 – Tax Exempt Institutions Connect first edition
The Tax Exempt Institutions (TEI) Segment has published the first EI Connect, which deals with insights, topics, and themes relevant to the Income Tax Exempt sector of taxpayers. The TEI Segment will publish the EI Connect on a quarterly basis and will have various snippets of information on the tax obligations and rights of the Income Tax Exempt sector of taxpayers, which will be featured under the “Did you Know” section. Each “Did You know” will deal with a different topic, and will provide insights and answers to some of the frequently asked questions received from taxpayers. This issue deals with the tax rights and obligations of Public Schools as tax exempt institutions (EIs). Should you want a specific topic to be discussed in the “Did You Know” section, please e-mail the [email protected]
Tax Exempt Institutions Segment
This is a segment of taxpayers that require the Commissioner’s approval for exemption from income tax and other related benefits. Each category of exemption is considered according to specific legislative provisions as contained in the Income Tax Act (ITA). These institutions include
- Public Benefit Organisations
- Recreational Clubs,
- Membership Associations,
- Small Business Funding Entities,
- Home Owners Associations,
- Government (Public) Institutions and
- Private Companies owned by Government Institutions.
For more information on automatic exempt categories, please click here.
Definitions
Non-profit organisations play a significant role in society as they assist with the social and development needs of the country. Preferential tax treatment is designed to assist Not for profit organisations by augmenting their financial resources.
The preferential tax treatment for Not for Profit organisations is not automatic and organisations that meet the requirements set out in the Income Tax Act must apply for this exemption.
An organisation will only enjoy preferential tax treatment after it has applied for and been granted approval as a Tax Exempt Institution by SARS. If the application has been approved by SARS, the organisation will be registered with SARS as a Tax Exempt Institution, issued with an approval letter that confirms the type of exemption status, and allocated a unique exemption reference number in addition to their tax reference number.
NOTE: An organisation that has registered as a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) (with DSD – NPO Directorate) or as a Non-Profit Company (NPC) (with CIPC) does not automatically qualify for preferential tax treatment and needs to apply for exemption with SARS.
