School of Accountancy (ETDs)
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Item An appraisal of a direct wealth tax as a mechanism to reduce financial inequality(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Mashishi, Lerato; Nkhi, NalediWith the COVID-19 pandemic leading to increasing questions around wealth inequality, the role that tax reform has in addressing inequality has been a key question. With the slogan “tax the rich” increasing in popularity internationally, wealth tax proposals have been made in developed and developing countries. This study examines the approaches to wealth taxes in different countries that form part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in order to understand an appropriate wealth tax design. This research aims to analyse the history of tax reform in South Africa by examining the recommendations of the Katz and Davis committees relating to wealth taxes. This report includes an examination of how wealth tax revenues can be used to reduce inequality by analysing the public spending landscape in order to determine whether wealth tax revenues would be appropriately used. The research finds that the adequate design of a wealth tax is theoretically possible, however South Africa has flaws in public spending that need to be corrected prior to increasing the tax burden of taxpayersItem ‘Born free’ to unemployment? A Tax Incentive Post Implementation(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-06) Greeff, Shiaam; Padia, MishaSouth Africa, the economic engine of Africa’s youth face numerous challenges in accessing employment. Young individuals have been confronted with unemployment percentages exceeding 40 per cent after democracy and the unemployment rate has persisted closer to 50 per cent of late. To combat the youth unemployment crisis the South African government implemented the Employment Tax Incentive (ETI) in 2014. The ETI is an incentive offered with the intention of mitigating extraordinarily high youth unemployment in South Africa by encouraging qualifying firms to hire younger and less experienced individuals. This research dissertation serves to provide a critical analysis of the youth unemployment in South Africa and how the ETI has affected the youth unemployment in the nine-years post implementation. During the implementation period, South Africa endured the COVID-19 pandemic affecting life as we knew it and employment globally. The youth unemployment in the BRICS member countries has been analysed with their measures to address youth unemployment. Lastly the study analyses the experiences small business owners in South Africa have had with the ETI post implementation. This study aims to evaluate the influence of the Employment Tax Incentive on the unemployment of young South Africans. This is achieved by conducting a qualitative study using critical analysis to review the ETI post implementation, determining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on unemployment, assessing the other BRICS member countries who have implemented initiatives to improve youth unemployment and conducting interviews with small business owners in South Africa to understand the ETI in the business sector. The data suggests that a subsidy is not a stand-alone answer to youth unemployment in South Africa. The subsidy, however, does create some employment according to the data analysed. The country experiences extraordinary youth unemployment rates. The employment of young South Africans generates greater value than just the employment, it allows for the youth to use their time constructively by gaining experience and skills instead of participating in socio-economic issues such as alcohol and drug abuse. It is acknowledged that the implementation of an employment incentive on its own will not be enough to resolve the South African youth unemployment crisis; the inferior education needs to be addressed. The BRIC member countries face similar challenges and their interventions have not entirelyhad the desired outcome.Item Trends in reporting on climate change, water and COVID-19 by JSE listed companies(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Seedat, Zakiyyah; Lange, Yvette; Maroun, WarrenEnvironmental, social and governance (ESG) information is increasingly demanded by stakeholders as companies face risks and opportunities due to ESG issues, such as climate change, water and COVID-19. ESG disclosure helps reduce information asymmetry for users of company reports and helps companies maintain their social licence to operate. Disclosure is voluntary and this introduces differences in the information disclosed by companies. This study analysed the annual, integrated and ESG reports of the top 40 Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE) listed companies. These reports were analysed following an interpretive approach to determine the extent of disclosure on climate change, water and COVID-19 in 2018, 2019 and 2020. This study also considered the change in disclosure on climate change and water over these three years. A disclosure checklist has been developed using professional literature. Content analysis has been used to codify the disclosed information with disclosures being scored using an ordinal scale. Descriptive statistics have been used to analyse and graphically present the data. Exploratory factor analysis has been used for the identification of major disclosure themes. This study contributes to existing research by considering the current state of ESG disclosure at a time when notable developments in the reporting environment have occurred. The findings indicate that companies have focused on quantitative and strategy-related disclosure, indicating the adoption of similar reporting practices by companies. The study also found that there was no significant change in climate change and water disclosure from 2018 to 2020