In this paper, the authors describe South Africa's value added tax (VAT), showing that (1) the VAT is mildly regressive, and (2) it is an effective source of government revenue, compared with other tax instruments in South Africa. They evaluate the VAT in the context of other distortions in the economy by computing the marginal cost of funds-the effect of raising government revenue by increasing the VAT rates on household welfare. Then they evaluate alternative, revenue-neutral tax systems in which they reduce the VAT and raise income taxes. For the analysis, the authors use a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model with detailed specification of South Africa's tax system. Households are disaggregated into income deciles. They demonstrate that alternative tax structures can benefit low-income households without placing excess burdens on high-income households.

This Technical Assistance Report discusses the results of applying the value-added tax (VAT) gap estimation methodology of the Revenue Administration Gap Analysis Program (RA-GAP) to South Africa for the period 2007–12. It is found that the compliance gap is estimated to be between 5 percent and 10 percent of potential VAT revenues during the period 2007–12, and peaking in 2008 and 2009. The estimated compliance gap for VAT in South Africa between 2007 and 2012 is hump-shaped. The results also reveal that the level of the VAT policy gap in South Africa is low by international standards, owing to its simple VAT policy structure.

This article develops a standalone place of activity section for the VAT Act to align South Africa's place of supply rules with those of other jurisdictions. This proposed legislative provision should adhere to the OECD Guidelines to increase certainty and to minimise the potential for cross-border supplies involving South Africa to be subject to double taxation or unintended double non-taxation. The article is organised as follows: section 2 considers the VAT system in South Africa in order to provide the appropriate context, followed by an analysis of the place of supply rules as they apply in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Section 2 concludes with an initial proposed place of activity section, which was discussed with five South African VAT experts. Section 3 examines the results of the consultative process, making use of a thematic analysis of the open-ended questions. The final section (section 4) concludes with a refined legislative provision that could be used by National Treasury to introduce place of activity rules into the VAT Act as a standalone provision, in addition to the other provisions that have already been implemented.

Tax simplification - An African Perspective Edited by Chris Evans, Riël Franzsen, Elizabeth (Lilla) Stack 2019 ISBN: 978-1-920538-96-5 Pages: 347 Print version: Available Electronic version: Free PDF available About the publication Why are tax systems so complex and what are the causes and consequences of such complexity? The simplification of tax systems is one of the most important issues faced today in worldwide efforts to modernise and strengthen government finance and revenue raising capacities. Nowhere is it more important than throughout the rapidly emerging economies of the dynamic African region. This volume brings together contributions in this field from a conference held in South Africa in October 2018 and provides a unique synthesis of knowledge and understanding gained from the specialist expertise and diverse backgrounds brought to the tax simplification debate by those authors. Featured topics include: Taxpayers’ rights to simplicity The African experience of tax simplification Simplification trends among small and medium sized entities Pension tax simplification Sources of complexity in value added taxation Simplification of recurrent property taxes Complexity and approaches to international taxation Complexity and taxation of multinational enterprises Lessons from overseas. The analysis of these topics includes timely and relevant perspectives from the experience in other jurisdictions including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. The volume will be an essential reference for researchers and others interested in the field from academia, government, legal and accounting practice and public policy organisations in African and other countries worldwide.Table of Contents Preface Foreword – Tax Simplification in the United Kingdom: Some Personal Reflections John Whiting Contributors Introduction Elizabeth (Lilla) Stack, Chris Evans and Riël Franzsen Tax Complexity and Tax Simplification: A Critical Review of Concepts and Issues Binh Tran-Nam, Annet Wanyana Oguttu and Kyle Mandy The Taxpayers’ Right to Tax Simplicity in South Africa and the United States Carika Fritz and Nina E Olson The Role of the Office of Tax Simplification in the United Kingdom and Lessons for Other Countries Yige Zu and Lynne Oats An Analysis of the Tax Simplification Initiatives for Pension Provision in the United Kingdom and South Africa Bernadene de Clercq, Andy Lymer and Chris Axelson Simplification Lessons from New Zealand Adrian Sawyer, Marina Bornman and Greg Smith Legal Uncertainty in the South African VAT Marius van Oordt and Richard Krever Simplifying Recurrent Property Taxes in Africa Riël Franzsen, Abdallah Ali-Nakyea and Adams Tommy Statutory and Effective Complexity for Individual Taxpayers in South Africa Sharon Smulders, Karen Stark and Deborah Tickle Small and Micro Businesses: Case Studies on the Complexity of ‘Simplified’ Schemes Heinrich Dixon, Judith Freedman and Wollela Abehodie Yesegat Tax Complexity for Multinational Corporations in South Africa – Evidence from a Global Survey Thomas Hoppe, Reyhaneh Safaei, Amanda Singleton and Caren Sureth-Sloane International Tax Simplification in South Africa through Managing Substantive Complexity and Improving Drafting Efficiency Jinyan Li and Teresa Pidduck Bibliography Index

This Technical Assistance Report discusses the results of applying the value-added tax (VAT) gap estimation methodology of the Revenue Administration Gap Analysis Program (RA-GAP) to South Africa for the period 2007-12. It is found that the compliance gap is estimated to be between 5 percent and 10 percent of potential VAT revenues during the period 2007-12, and peaking in 2008 and 2009. The estimated compliance gap for VAT in South Africa between 2007 and 2012 is hump-shaped. The results also reveal that the level of the VAT policy gap in South Africa is low by international standards, owing