Tag Archives: assets

Can I amend my will?

Posted on by

B1Having a will is a final statement of how you want your assets to be managed after your death. However, sometimes you may want to change it. You may have had a child, for example, and what to add him/her into your will. You may have also acquired more assets and would like to reconsider how they get divided among your possible heirs.

What is a codicil?

When you want to add something to your will or make a minor change, then you can make use of a codicil. A codicil is a schedule or annexure to an existing will, which is made to supplement or to amend an existing will. A codicil must comply with the same requirements for a valid will. A codicil need not be signed by the same witnesses who signed the original will.

What if I want to amend my will?

  1. Amendments to a will can only be made while executing a will or after the date of execution of the will.
  2. Amendments to a will must comply with the same requirements for a valid will and if you cannot write, with the same requirements listed under that heading.
  3. When amending a will, the same witnesses who signed the original will need not sign it.

Must I amend my will after divorce?

A bequest to your divorced spouse in your will, which was made prior to your divorce, will not necessarily fall away after divorce.

  1. The Wills Act stipulates that, except where you expressly provide otherwise, a bequest to your divorced spouse will be deemed revoked if you die within three months of the divorce.
  2. This provision is to allow a divorced person a period of three months to amend his/her will, after the trauma of a divorce.
  3. Should you however fail to amend your will within three months after your divorce, the deemed revocation rule will fall away, and your divorced spouse will benefit as indicated in the will.

References:

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

Demystifying the executor in a deceased estate

Posted on by

B4During a person’s lifetime s/he will gather assets, in other words, belongings such as a house or a motor vehicle. These assets and liabilities will form part of a person’s estate. At the death of that person, his/her deceased estate must be administered, in other words, divided, distributed and controlled by someone. This person is called an executor.
.

However, the role of an estate executor and who can be appointed as one has been largely misunderstood.

What does the executor do?

“Executor” is the legal term for referring to the person, or people, nominated in your will to carry out the directives you set out in your will.

  1. This means that it is the executor’s responsibility to disburse your property to the mentioned beneficiaries in your will, but also obtain information on potential heirs, collecting and arranging payments, and approving or disapproving creditors’ claims.
  2. It is the executor’s duty to calculate and pay the estate tax, and to ensure that the correct documentation is filed with the relevant authorities.
  3. The executor is the individual that represents your estate.

Who can be appointed as the executor?

It has become normal to appoint a friend, family member or beneficiary to act as the executor, as they most likely have intimate knowledge of your estate and your affairs, but also, they will not rack up the fees that a legal body might accrue.

However, there is a misconception that you can avoid the fees by appointing a family member as the estate executor, but this could also mean that you are deferring the cost to the nominated family member.

  1. Family members appointed as executors on larger estates immediately find themselves out of their depth, and not only end up hiring a professional executor, but may also pay more for these services than necessary.
  2. A simple way to address this is by appointing a “professional” executor during your lifetime. This allows you to negotiate the executor fees.

If you appoint a family member, make sure that they understand that they will have to appoint a professional agent, and that they should negotiate the fee and be very cautious of agreeing to a fee arrangement in terms of which the professional agent charges their professional fee, instead of the legislated scale.

References:

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

The advantages and disadvantages of trusts

Posted on by

CM_06_03Trusts have various advantages, but unfortunately there are also disadvantages. Although this is not a complete synopsis of all the pros and cons, it gives a general overview of what’s involved.

Advantages:

  1. Growth taking place in the Trust assets settles in the Trust and not in your personal estate.
  2. By selling the assets to the Trust, the amount owed to you by the Trust will remain outstanding on the loan account and shall be regarded as an asset to your estate.
  3. A Trust offers protection against problems should you become mentally incompetent.
  4. A Trust remains confidential as opposed to documents like wills and records of deceased estates which are public documents and therefore open for inspection.
  5. A Trust can offer financial protection to disabled dependents, children or beneficiaries with special needs.
  6. A Trust can evade the administrative costs of consecutive estates by making provision for consecutive beneficiaries.
  7. A Trust can lighten the emotional stress on your family when you die because the Trust will continue without any of the formalities that are required from a deceased estate.
  8. By choosing your Trustees well you can ensure professional asset and investment management.
  9. The Trust will enable you to have a degree of control over the assets in the Trust after your death, via the Trustees.
  10. After your death and before the estate has been settled the Trust can provide a source of income for your dependent(s).
  11. You will prevent your minor child’s inheritance from being transferred to the Guardian’s Fund.
  12. You will avoid the problem of trying to distribute assets equally among the heirs.
  13. Levels of income may be varied according to the changing needs of the beneficiaries at the discretion of the Trustees.
  14. Due to the assets remaining the property of the Trust and not the beneficiaries it need not be included in people’s estates as part of their assets when they die, which effects a saving in Estate duty.
  15. The Trust assets will be protected from creditors for the same reason.

Disadvantages:

  1. You don’t have full control of your assets, as the other Trustees also have a say in the matter.
  2. A Trust is registered and the authorities can gain access to it.
  3. You could possible choose the wrong Trustees. You could expect problems if the Trustees are vying heirs. This shows how important it is to have at least one independent Trustee.

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

Selling of assets by individuals: when will it attract cgt?

Posted on by

CMulder_04_A4Individuals who are residents for the purpose of the Income Tax Act, 58 of 1962, are liable for CGT (capital gains tax) on the disposal of South African and foreign assets. In addition, non-residents who dispose of immovable property in South Africa are liable for CGT as well.

As a disposal is the event that can trigger a taxpayer’s liability for CGT, it is important to know what type of transactions SARS will view as a disposal. The following actions are considered to be a disposal for CGT purposes:

  • Selling of an asset
  • Donating an asset
  • Destruction, scrapping or loss of an asset
  • Abandonment of an asset
  • Change in the use of an asset

Please note: The above actions are not a complete list of what constitutes a disposal. Please contact your tax adviser for more detailed information.

The rule of thumb is that if an asset is disposed of it will be subject to CGT, except if the capital gain/loss is specifically excluded. A capital gain/loss on any of the following disposals will not trigger CGT:

1. Disposal of a primary residence

The capital profit/loss on the disposal of a primary residence will not be taxable for CGT purposes if all the following requirements are met:

  • The proceeds are not more than R2 000 000, and
  • It is owned by a natural person (not by a company, close corporation or trust), and
  • The owner or his/her spouse normally lives in the house as their main residence, and
  • More than 50% of the house is used for private purposes.

It is also useful to know in which circumstances, upon disposal of a primary residence, a capital profit/loss, or a portion thereof, will be taxable for purposes of CGT. If any one of the following circumstances are present the capital profit/loss, or a pro rata portion thereof, will be taxable for CGT purposes:

  • If the proceeds is more than R2 000 000, the amount of the capital profit/loss exceeding R2 000 000 will be taxable.
  • When a property is bigger than 2 hectares, the portion of the capital gain/loss relating to more than the first 2 hectares, will be taxable.
  • Where a person or his/her spouse did not live in a primary residence for any period after 1 October 2001, the primary residence exclusion will not be allowed for that time period.
  • If any part of a primary residence was used for trade purposes (e.g. if you used your study to run a business from), the portion of the primary residence exclusion relating to the part of the primary residence used for business purposes will be taxable.

2. Disposal of personal use assets

The disposal of personal use assets which are owned by a natural person and not used for trade purposes, will not give rise to a liability for CGT. Some examples of personal use assets which are excluded for the purpose of calculating a potential CGT liability, are the following:

  • Personal belongings used more than 50% for personal purposes, for example a car, a caravan, an art collection or household furniture.
  • The capital gain/loss on the disposal of a boat up to a maximum length of ten metres and which was used for private/personal purposes.
  • Aircraft with an empty weight of 450 kilograms or less.

Please note: The above-mentioned circumstances is not a complete list of exclusions on the disposal of personal use assets. Please contact your tax adviser for more detailed information.

3. Disposal of an interest in a small business

The exemption of the capital gain/loss is limited to R1 800 000 if:

  • The gross asset value of the small business is less than R10 000 000, and
  • The individual is:
  • a sole proprietor or partner or has held 10% or more of the shares in the small business for five years or more, and
  • is at least 55 years old, and
  • suffers from ill-health or infirmity, or deceased.

4. Disposal of assets in a registered micro business, provided that the assets were used for business purposes

5. Receiving lump sum payments from certain approved retirement funds

6. Receiving the proceeds from certain endowment or life insurance policies

  • Second-hand policies are not excluded unless they are pure risk policies with no investment/surrender value.

7. Compensation received for personal illness or injury

8. Winnings and prizes from certain games and competitions e.g. Lotto winnings

Although the above exclusions are very specific, it is still possible to plan a transaction in such a way that will minimise the taxpayer’s liability for CGT. If you need more information on this topic, please do not hesitate to contact us for professional assistance and advice.

Reference List:

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

Capital Gains Tax and the sale of a property

Posted on by

A3B_newCapital Gains Tax was introduced on 1 October 2001. Capital Gains Tax is payable on the profit a seller makes when disposing of his property.

What is meant by Capital Gain?

A person’s capital gain on an asset disposed of is the amount by which the proceeds exceed the base cost of that asset.

What is base cost?

The base cost of an asset is what you paid for it, plus the expenditure. The following can be included in calculating the base cost:

  1. The costs of acquiring the property, including the purchase price, transfer costs, transfer duty and professional fees e.g. attorney’s fees and fees paid to a surveyor and auctioneer.
  2. The cost of improvements, alterations and renovations which can be proved by invoices and/or receipts.
  3. The cost of disposing of the property, e.g. advertising costs, cost of obtaining a valuation for capital gains purposes, and estate agents’; commission.

How was base cost of assets held calculated before 1 October 2001?

If the property was acquired before 1 October 2001 you may use one of the following methods to value the property:

  1. 20% x (proceeds less expenditure incurred on or after 1 October 2001)
  2. The market value of the asset as at 1 October 2001, which valuation must have been obtained before 30 September 2004.
  3. Time-apportionment base cost method. Original cost (proceeds – original cost) x number of years held before 1 October 2001 divided by the number of years held before 1 October 2001 number of years held after 1 October 2001).

How is Capital Gains Tax paid?

Capital Gains Tax is not a separate tax from income tax. Part of a person’s capital gain is included in his taxable income. It is then subject to normal tax. A portion of the total of the taxpayer’s capital gain less capital losses for the year is included in the taxpayer’s taxable income and taxed in terms of normal tax tables.

How is Capital Gain calculated?

If you are an individual, the first R30 000 of your total capital gain will be disregarded. Then 33.3% of the capital gain made on disposal of the property must be included in the taxable income for the year of assessment in which the property is sold. When the property is owned by a company, a close corporation or an ordinary trust, 66.6% of the capital gain must be included in their taxable income.

Primary residence and Capital Gains Tax

As from 1 March 2012 the first R2 million of any capital gain on the sale of a primary residence is exempted from Capital Gains Tax. This exemption only applies where the property is registered in the name of an individual or in the name of a special trust. The property should furthermore not exceed 2 hectares. If the property is used partially for residential and partially for business purposes, an apportionment must be done.

If more than one person holds an interest in a primary residence, the exclusion will be in proportion to the interest held by each party. For example, if you and your spouse have an equal interest in the primary residence, you will each qualify for a primary residence exclusion of R1 million. You will also be entitled to the annual exclusion, currently R30 000.

This newsletter is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE).

Is it beneficial to create a trust?

Posted on by
Reply

A3BA Trust can be described as a legal relationship which has been created by the founder, who places assets under the control of Trustees. This either happens during the founder’s lifetime (inter vivos trust) or at the death of the founder (testamentary trust). This article will focus on the advantages and disadvantages of an inter vivos trust.

The advantage of a trust is firstly, that inter vivos trusts can be used to minimise estate duty. No estate duty should be payable on assets owned by the Trust as a Trust does not terminate or come to an end, since it has perpetual succession. Estate duty is currently taxed at 20% of the gross estate value. This saving in estate duty can be substantially large, especially for high net worth individuals who are worth millions of rands. Secondly, as the Trust’s assets are not owned by the beneficiaries, the creditors of the beneficiaries do not have a claim regarding the assets of the Trust. This advantage is especially important for people who are exposed to potential liability. Companies as well as individuals are able to transfer assets to Trusts. Lastly, because Trusts have perpetual succession, beneficiaries will be able to continue enjoying the benefit of the Trust assets even if one of the Trustees were to pass away.

The disadvantages are firstly, the costs of setting up a Trust, which can be high. It may cost up to R 20 000 to set up a Trust. If immovable property is transferred to the Trust then transfer duty needs to be paid. The founders of the Trust may also be liable to pay Donations tax, which is taxable at 20% of the value of the assets transferred to the Trust. Transfer duty is taxed according to a sliding scale. Secondly, Trustees could find themselves personally liable for losses suffered by the Trust if it can be proven that they did not act with care, diligence and skill in terms of section 9 of the Trust Property Control Act. It is important to note that “skill” requires more than just acting in good faith. Trustees may be proven to be negligent not only if they invested in risky investments, but also if they invested capital too conservatively, causing the capital not to grow sufficiently. Trustees also need to be aware of the fact that they can still be held liable if only one Trustee has signing power on behalf of the Trust and he/she makes a poor decision that holds all the Trustees liable for his negligence.

The founder of the Trust needs to recognise that the assets in the Trust do not belong to him/her anymore. The assets belong to the Trust. Should this loss of control (from founder to Trust) not occur, the Trust may be seen as an alter ego of the founder, which could result in the assets being included in creditors’ claims as well as having estate duty consequences.

The earnings from the assets in the Trust are taxed at 40%, and interest exemptions do not apply to Trusts. Also, the inclusion rate for Capital Gains tax for an inter vivos trust is 66.6% whereas the inclusion rate for individuals is 33.3%. Lastly, as we can see from the above, a Trust is not for everyone.

It is important to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages before deciding whether to go ahead or not. The best decision would be to speak to a certified financial planner or attorney who can assist you in making the correct decision regarding your personal situation.

This newsletter is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. E&OE (Errors and omissions excepted.)