Value-Added Tax Act, 1991 (Act No. 89 of 1991)

Part II : Value-Added Tax

18D. Temporary letting of residential property

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(1) For the purposes of this section—
(a) developer’ means a vendor who continuously or regularly constructs, extends or substantially improves fixed property consisting of any dwelling or continuously or regularly constructs, extends or substantially improves parts of that fixed property for the purpose of disposing of that fixed property after the construction, extension or improvement; and
(b) temporarily applied’ means the application of fixed property or a portion of a fixed property in supplying accommodation in a dwelling under an agreement or more than one agreement for letting and hiring thereof which agreement or agreements relate to a combined total period not exceeding 12 months: Provided that ‘temporarily applied’ does not include the application of fixed property in supplying accommodation in a dwelling under an agreement for the letting and hiring thereof where any such agreement is for a fixed period exceeding 12 months, in which case this section will not apply, but the provisions of section 18(1) shall apply.

 

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 18(1), where goods being supplied consist of fixed property consisting of any dwelling and such fixed property—
(a) is developed by a vendor who is a developer wholly for the purpose of making taxable supplies or is held or applied for that purpose by that vendor; and
(b) is subsequently temporarily applied by that vendor in accordance with section 12(c),

such fixed property shall be deemed to have been supplied by that vendor by way of a taxable supply for the consideration contemplated in section 10(29) and shall take place in accordance with section 9(13).

 

(3) Where a vendor who is a developer subsequently supplies fixed property contemplated in subsection (2)(b) by way of a sale within the period that the fixed property is temporarily applied, such supply shall be a taxable supply in the course or furtherance of the vendor’s enterprise and shall take place in accordance with section 9(3)(d).

 

(4) Where fixed property contemplated in subsection (3) is supplied by that vendor, the supply shall be deemed to be made for a consideration as contemplated in section 10(2).

 

(5) Where fixed property—
(a) contemplated in subsection (3) is supplied by that vendor within the ‘temporarily applied’ period; or
(b) is temporarily applied as contemplated in subsection (2)(b) and is no longer applied in supplying accommodation in a dwelling immediately after the expiry of the ‘temporarily applied’ period;
(c) [Section 18D(5)(c) deleted by section 50(1)(c) of the Taxation Laws Amendment Act, 2023 (Act No. 17 of 2023), Notice No. 4226, GG49894, dated 22 December 2023 - comes into operation on 1 April 2024 (section 50(2))]

the Commissioner shall allow such vendor a deduction in terms of section 16(3)(o), and the deduction so made shall be deemed for the purpose of that section to be input tax.

 

(6) The fixed property contemplated in subsection (2)(b) shall be deemed to have been supplied by the developer by way of a taxable supply under section 18(1) for a consideration as contemplated in section 10(7) in the course or furtherance of that vendor’s enterprise at the earlier of—
(a) the time that the temporary letting period of 12 months has been exceeded; or
(b) the time that the vendor applies that fixed property permanently for a purpose other than that of making taxable supplies:

Provided that this provision shall not apply if, during the period that the property is ‘temporarily applied’, a written agreement for the taxable supply of the property has been concluded and the transfer of that property only occurs after the expiry of the said period. In such a case, the sale of the property concerned will be a taxable supply at the time contemplated in section 9(3)(d).

[Section 18D(6) inserted by section 50(1)(d) of the Taxation Laws Amendment Act, 2023 (Act No. 17 of 2023), Notice No. 4226, GG49894, dated 22 December 2023 - comes into operation on 1 April 2024 (section 50(2))]

 

[Section 18D inserted by section 54(1) of the Taxation Laws Amendment Act, 2021 (Act No. 20 of 2021), Notice No. 770, GG45787, dated 19 January 2022 - comes into operation on 1 April 2022 (section 54(2))]