SHIPPING LINES and container depots selling used containers to private business people have been asked by revenue services to warn purchasers that these must be registered with the taxman when being used for business purposes.
Thousands of budding business people operate from containers and most have not registered their businesses for tax purposes, says Christo Henning of South African Revenue Services (Sars).
We are definitely aware of this and have started requesting people to submit registration details and complete the necessary documents. Companies selling containers to private individuals can assist us greatly by advising the purchasers of this requirement.
The receiver loses about R30 billion annually through tax evasion, and we are talking about a substantial amount of money owing to us from the container operators. Unless these people come forward and deal with us, the receiver may resort to confiscating containers or having them locked up by the sheriff until the owners come forward.
Many containers belong to the informal sector which makes the situation difficult to regulate. Many of these operators are unaware of the law and the sellers can help by telling them of the situation when they make the purchase.
We are looking into the various industries concerned to see that everyone is on board. We are not specifically targeting containers, but non-compliance with the regulations will be dealt with legally.
Copyright Now Media (Pty) Ltd
No article may be reproduced without the written permission of the editor
To respond to this article send your email to joyo@nowmedia.co.za
