Harmful Tax Practices – 2023 Peer Review Reports on the Exchange of Information on Tax Rulings

1101. South Africa can legally issue the following type of ruling within the scope of the transparency framework: (i) preferential regimes.1

1102. For South Africa, past rulings are any tax rulings within scope that are issued either: (i) on or after 1 January 2014 but before 1 April 2016; or (ii) on or after 1 January 2010 but before 1 January 2014, provided they were still in effect as at 1 January 2014. Future rulings are any tax rulings within scope that are issued on or after 1 April 2016.

1103. In the prior years’ peer review reports, it was determined that South Africa’s undertakings to identify past and future rulings and all potential exchange jurisdictions were sufficient to meet the minimum standard. In addition, it was determined that South Africa’s review and supervision mechanism was sufficient to meet the minimum standard. South Africa’s implementation remains unchanged, and therefore continues to meet the minimum standard.

1104. South Africa’s has met all of the ToR for the information gathering process and no recommendations are made.

1105. South Africa has the necessary domestic legal basis to exchange information spontaneously. South Africa notes that there are no legal or practical impediments that prevent the spontaneous exchange of information on rulings as contemplated in the Action 5 minimum standard.

1106. South Africa has international agreements permitting spontaneous exchange of information, including: (i) the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters: Amended by the 2010 Protocol (OECD/Council of Europe, 2011[2]) (“the Convention”) and (ii) bilateral agreements in force with 69 jurisdictions.2

1107. During the year in review, no exchanges were required to take place and no data on the timeliness of exchanges is reported.

1108. In the prior years’ peer review reports, it was determined that South Africa’s process for the completion and exchange of templates were sufficient to meet the minimum standard. With respect to past rulings, no further action was required. South Africa’s implementation in this regard remains unchanged and therefore continues to meet the minimum standard.

1109. South Africa has the necessary legal basis for spontaneous exchange of information, a process for completing the templates in a timely way and has completed all exchanges. South Africa has met all of the ToR for the exchange of information process and no recommendations are made.

1110. As no rulings were issued, no statistics can be reported.

1111. South Africa does not offer an intellectual property regime for which transparency requirements under the Action 5 Report (OECD, 2015[3]) were imposed.

[1] OECD (2021), BEPS Action 5 on Harmful Tax Practices - Terms of Reference and Methodology for the Conduct of the Peer Reviews of the Action 5 Transparency Framework, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://www.oecd.org/tax/beps/beps-action-5-harmful-tax-practices-peer-review-transparency-framework.pdf.

[3] OECD (2015), Countering Harmful Tax Practices More Effectively, Taking into Account Transparency and Substance, Action 5 - 2015 Final Report, OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264241190-en.

[2] OECD/Council of Europe (2011), The Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters: Amended by the 2010 Protocol, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264115606-en.