A comparison of the tax efficiency of direct versus indirect investment into South Africa

Abstract

Multinational enterprises are continuously in search of investment opportunities to grow their businesses. For over two decades South Africa, being one of the economic powerhouses of Africa, has been one such target for global investors. A company planning to invest in South Africa will attempt to identify the most appropriate way to do so, for tax and non-tax reasons. However, tax consequences are one of the main factors influencing the decision of an investor. While certain companies choose to invest directly into the target country, the majority choose to set up a holding company outside of the investor country. Such a company is known as an intermediary holding company and is defined as a company which is interposed between a shareholder and its foreign subsidiary. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the best manner, for tax purposes, in which a foreign company would invest into South Africa, either directly or indirectly through an intermediary holding company. Should the intermediary holding company option be selected, the company will then need to select the country in which to base its intermediary holding company. Tax havens are commonly used as a base for intermediary holding companies, however, these may not be the most advantageous option in all cases. Literature on intermediary holding companies and tax havens is reviewed and thereafter the study analyses and compares the tax efficiency of a hypothetical UK company investing into South Africa using different options. The options available to the UK Company which are compared, include investing directly into South Africa or investing indirectly through an intermediary holding company based in either Cyprus, Mauritius or the Netherlands, all of which are commonly used as bases for intermediary holding companies. The comparative study on the different intermediary holding company options is performed based on the domestic tax laws of each country as well as the effects of the double tax agreements in force between these countries and other tax jurisdictions. Thereafter, the most tax efficient intermediary holding company option is compared to the tax efficiency of direct investment by the UK Company and a conclusion is reached on which is the best manner for such a company to invest into South Africa, for tax purposes. AFRIKAANS : Multi-nasionale ondernemings is voortdurend op soek na nuwe beleggingsgeleenthede ten einde besigheidsgroei te bewerkstelling. Internasionale beleggers sien Suid-Afrika nou al vir meer as twee dekades as ʼn toetreepunt tot geleenthede in Afrika, vanweë Suid-Afrika se status as een van die ekonomiese reuse in Afrika. Maatskappye wat beplan om in Suid-Afrika te belê sal ondersoek doen om die beste moontlike beleggings manier te vind. Talle besigheidsredes, waarvan belastingimplikasies een van die hoofoorwegings is, sal die faktore wees wat ʼn potensiële belegger se besluitneming beïnvloed. Terwyl sommige maatskappye verkies om direk in die beleggingsland te belê sal die meeste maatskappye eerder in ʼn houermaatskappy buite die beleggingsland belê. So ʼn maatskappy staan bekend as ʼn intermediêre houer maatskappy en word gedefinieer as ʼn “tussenganger” maatskappy wat as geleibuis optree tussen die aandeelhouer en die buitelandse filiaal. Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie is om ondersoek in te stel na die beste metode, vanuit ʼn belastingoogpunt, vir ʼn buitelandse maatskappy om in Suid-Afrika te belê. Dit kan óf direk óf indirek deur middel van ʼn intermediêre houer maatskappy gedoen word. Indien die intermediêre houer maatskappy opsie gekies word, moet die maatskappy ook die land kies waarin die intermediêre houer maatskappy opgerig gaan word. Lande wat bekend is as belastingtoevlugsoorde word dikwels gekies om intermediêre houer maatskappye op te rig. Dit is egter nie in alle gevalle die mees voordeligste metode nie. Literatuur oor intermediêre houer maatskappye en belastingtoevlugsoorde word nagevors, waarna hierdie studie die belastingeffektiwiteit van ʼn hipotetiese Britse maatskappy, wat in Suid-Afrika belê, ondersoek deur gebruik te maak van verskillende opsies. Die opsies wat beskikbaar is en ondersoek sal word sluit in, direkte belegging in Suid-Afrika en belegging deur van ʼn intermediêre houer maatskappy gebruik te maak in Cyprus, Mauritius of Nederland. Al die vooraf genoemde lande is algemeen bekend daarvoor dat dit gebruik word om intermediêre houer maatskappye op te rig. Die verskillende intermediêre houer maatskappy opsies word met mekaar vergelyk, deur die belastingimplikasies van plaaslike belastingwetgewing van elke land, asook enige dubbele belastingooreenkomste van krag tussen hierdie lande en ander regsgebiede, te oorweeg. Die mees effektiewe intermediêre houer maatskappy opsie word dan vergelyk met die belastingeffektiwiteit van direkte belegging deur die Britse maatskappy. ʼn Gevolgtrekking word gemaak oor die metode wat die mees effektiefste belastinggevolge inhou vir ‘n Britse maatskappy wat in Suid-Afrika belê.