An international comparison on the impact of the extended life expectancy of natural persons for taxation purposes

Abstract

The increase in the life expectancy of natural persons has become a worldwide phenomenon. People live longer and need income for longer periods of time. Individuals need to start saving for their retirement early in life while still part of the workforce. Insufficient retirement savings lead to individuals not having sufficient income for their retirement. People become dependent on the government for assistance in paying for their day-to-day living expenses, leading to increases in social grants payable by the government. In South Africa the National Treasury needs to budget through taxation for the increase in the old age pension, which increases government expenditure. Additional income tax will therefore need to be raised to ensure that the national deficit does not increase further. Personal income taxes will directly be affected by the increase in the life expectancy. Research has been done internationally on the increase in life expectancy and the possible effect on the governments of those countries. No research has, however, been done in such detail in South Africa. This study provided information on the increase in the life expectancy of the South African population and the effect on the increase of old age pension as a social grant expense paid by the Government to qualifying beneficiaries. The aim of this study was to gain insight in the increase in the number of elderly people, those individuals aged 60 years and older, and the relation between this increase and the increase in the number of old age pension beneficiaries together with the increase in the budgeted expenses by the Government for old age pension. From a theoretical perspective, this study aimed to identify the possibility of increasing the retirement age to help people receive an income from employment for longer and to provide for themselves during the longer years in retirement. Finally the study aimed to assess this impact on taxation. A number of factors play a role in the increase of the number of old age pension beneficiaries and the resulting old age pension expense in the government budget. This study only focused on the role that the increase in life expectancy plays. AFRIKAANS : Die toename in die lewensverwagting van natuurlike persone het ’n wêreldwye verskynsel geword. Mense leef langer en moet ’n inkomste vir ’n baie langer tydperk hê. Individue moet reeds vroeg, terwyl hulle nog deel is van die werksmag, begin spaar vir hul aftrede. Onvoldoende aftreefondse lei daartoe dat pensioenarisse nie voldoende inkomste tydens hul aftrede verdien nie. Hierdie tekort lei daartoe dat individue afhanklik is van die regering om hulle by te staan vir die betaling van daaglikse uitgawes. Dit lei tot die verhoging in die maatskaplike toelaes wat deur die regering betaal word. In Suid-Afrika moet die Nasionale Tesourie in die begroting voorsiening maak vir die toename in die ouderdomspensioen wat tot ’n toename in regeringsuitgawes lei. Ekstra inkomste moet ook verkry word om te verseker dat die nasionale tekort nie verder toeneem nie. Persoonlike inkomstebelasting word regstreeks hierdeur beïnvloed. Internasionale navorsing is gedoen op die toename in lewensverwagting en die moontlike invloed op die regerings van daardie lande. Soortgelyke navorsing is egter nog nie in Suid-Afrika gedoen nie. Dié studie bied meer inligting oor die toename in lewensverwagting van die Suid-Afrikaanse bevolking en die effek daarvan op die toename in die ouderdomspensioen as ’n maatskaplike toelaag wat deur die regering betaal word aan begunstigdes wat daarvoor kwalifiseer. Die doel van hierdie studie was om insig te verkry in die toename in die aantal bejaardes, individue van 60 jaar en ouer, en die verwantskap tussen hierdie toename en die toename in die aantal ouderdomspensioen begunstigdes asook die begrote regeringsuitgawe vir ouderdomspensioene. Die studie het gepoog om vanuit ’n teoretiese oogpunt te kyk na die moontlikheid om die aftreeouderdom te verhoog sodat mense langer inkomste kan verdien en vir hulleself kan sorg in die langer aftreetydperk. Die studie het ook gekyk na die invloed hiervan op belasting. Verskeie faktore speel ’n rol in die groei van die aantal individue wat ouderdomspensioen ontvang en gepaardgaande toename in die ouderdomspensioenbegroting van die regering. Die studie het slegs gefokus op die rol wat die verhoging in lewensverwagting speel.