PAYE and directors’ (and members’) remuneration from 1 March 2017

Many would have noted reports in the national media that the Taxation Laws Amendment Act, 16 of 2016, was signed into law by President Zuma on 11 January 2017. One of the many changes that the Act brings into effect is the repeal of paragraph 11C of the Fourth Schedule to the Income Tax Act, 58 of 1962. The provision is repealed effective 28 February 2017, which means that a new regime is introduced for deducting PAYE from directors’ remuneration effective for the 2018 tax year commencing on 1 March 2017.

The repeal introduces a new dispensation for the calculation of employers’ liability to pay over PAYE on a monthly basis as relates to directors’ remuneration paid. (It bears reminding at this stage that members of close corporations are deemed to be directors for PAYE purposes too, so the same would apply to members’ remuneration paid from 1 March 2017.) Ironically, the “new” dispensation that now applies to directors’ remuneration is the same regime that has throughout applied to “regular” employees, and these regimes can now be said to be aligned.

The purpose of paragraph 11C was to provide for the unique circumstances presented in directors’ remuneration, whereby actual remuneration for directors would often be inconsistent and amount to ad hoc payments decided and approved from time to time.[1] Policy was therefore to have PAYE calculated on a notional amount calculated generally with reference to the actual directors’ remuneration paid out in the previous year of assessment.

However, with the introduction of section 7B (dealing with “variable remuneration”[2]) in the Income Tax Act itself in 2013, policy in this regard appears to have changed with National Treasury. If “regular” employees need to account for PAYE on an ongoing basis on variable remuneration (also inconsistent) received, the need to differentiate between employees and directors would fall away and no policy consideration would exist whereby there should be differentiated between the PAYE treatment of variable remuneration received by employees vis-à-vis directors’ remuneration.

The reference to section 7B is only relevant to explain the policy change. It is important to appreciate though that directors’ remuneration will likely not form part of “variable remuneration” as defined in section 7B, and therefore PAYE cannot be accounted for merely on an actual payment basis. PAYE should be calculated and paid over as and when remuneration accrues to an employee (with the exception of variable remuneration), and likewise to directors now too. This would be as and when the employee or director becomes entitled to the remuneration, and not only when the amounts are actually received subsequently (as would be the case for variable remuneration covered by section 7B).

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied upon as professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your financial adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

[1] See the now archived SARS Interpretation Note 5 (Issue 2)

[2] A term defined in section 7B of the Income Tax Act