Baseline Civil Contractors (Pty) Ltd v CSARS

Binding Private Ruling 424 examines whether interest on a loan used to redeem preference shares and settle related dividends is deductible under section 24J of the Income Tax Act.

BASF South Africa (Pty) Ltd v CSARS confirms that SARS may not amend a Rule 31 statement to introduce a new legal or factual case, while a taxpayer may raise fresh Rule 32 appeal grounds where they relate to the same disputed assessment amount already objected to.

VAT Ruling VR 014 (9 January 2026) approves the page-space and varied turnover-based apportionment methods under sections 17(1) and 41B of the VAT Act.

Binding Private Ruling 428 examines the income tax consequences of a Delayed Contribution Equity Investment Structure (DCEIS), confirming that phased share subscription proceeds constitute contributed tax capital rather than gross income.

The ruling also clarifies the interaction between sections 11D and 8(4)(a), confirming that qualifying R&D expenditure remains deductible without triggering recoupment consequences under the Income Tax Act.

In SARS v Taxpayer 3C (VAT 12167, 2026), the Tax Court held that SARS must apply for condonation when filing a Rule 31 statement late, confirming that a taxpayer’s clear communication can constitute valid notice to proceed with an appeal and trigger SARS’s obligations under the Tax Court Rules.

This session explores an SCA judgment regarding the imposition of understatement penalties for submission of nil returns as well as the strength of the “professional tax advice defence”.