3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item The tax treatment of debt and equity in leverage finance transactions(2016) Tettey, Joseph RydellThis research focuses on large corporate transactions and acknowledges that they play a significant role in the allocation of resources in society. For this reason (1) the composition of firms’ capital structure and (2) how they choose to fund their investments are important. The South African income tax system has a bias towards debt and this bias (1) distorts the financing and investment decisions of firms; and (2) creates international tax arbitrage opportunities. These circumstances are not exclusive to South Africa. In order to address these distortions and loopholes the National Treasury and the SARS Commissioner have introduced complicated interest deduction limitations. This research critically analyses (1) the new adjusted tax rules concerning interest deduction limitations in finance transactions and (2) whether these new rules encourage investment. To assist with this critical analysis we use corporate finance theory to examine debt push-down transactions/structures because these structures are seen as highly tax-efficient for investors (both foreign and local). This research demonstrates that there are many different ways to finance a transaction but ultimately the choice of finance lies along the continuum between the issue of debt or equity. From an economic perspective this research confirms that there is no material reason for the disparate treatment between debt and equity. However from a legal perspective debt and equity instruments are materially distinct and thus tax considerations are influential in selecting the form of finance used in a transaction. This research not only concludes that leverage transactions utilising excessive debt pose a risk to tax revenues, tax sovereignty and tax fairness but also that the artificial statutory treatment of interest deductions on leverage transactions and working capital facilities means that (1) firms’ ability to finance their operations is reduced, (2) the value of firms is reduced and (3) the incentive for investors to invest in South Africa is also reduced.Item Managing bank resolution in South Africa(2015-03-20) Tettey, Joseph RydellAsymmetric information, agency problems and the moral hazard, in their various manifestations, can be attributed to the collapse of financial systems over the last century. In order to guard against the negative externalities of these dilemmas, regulators in the banking sector have developed capital adequacy requirements, which measure the solvency of Banks. After the global financial crisis, regulators have realised the importance of having appropriate bank resolution regimes, in order to dismantle failing or failed banks before they become a risk to the financial system and economy. This report s analyses how the South African Reserve Bank resolves systematically significant banks.