Category Archives: Wills and Esates

INHERITANCES AND TAX

IS TAX IMPOSED ON SUMS OF MONEY WHICH HAVE BEEN INHERITED?

Any asset which is attained by an heir to a deceased estate is termed as a ‘capital receipt’ and is not included in the heir’s gross income. Thus, tax is not payable by an heir who receives an inheritance from a deceased estate. Further, an heir to a deceased estate is not liable for payment of Capital Gains Tax (CGT). Any CGT which would be due by the estate is payable before the inheritance is transferred to the beneficiaries. As mentioned above, an asset does not give rise to a capital gain at the time of its inheritance – any capital gain or loss is only worked out once the asset is ultimately sold or disposed of in any other manner.

WHAT IS ESTATE DUTY?

During a person’s lifetime, all one’s income is taxable, that is, up until one’s date of death. After a person’s death, a new taxable entity is formed, which is called an “estate”. Every death must be reported to SARS, even if the estate is not liable for the payment of ‘Estate Duty’.

The estate of a deceased individual is subject to an amount of 20% Estate Duty. This percentage is only imposed once a deduction of R3.5 million against the net value of the estate has been taken into account. To illustrate this, see the worked example below:

Net value of estate:                                                                         R4 million
Estate duty only dutiable on the amount exceeding: R3.5 million
Amount exceeding R3.5 million:                                             R500 000.00
20% of R500 000.00:                                                                     R100 000.00

Thus, the executor of the estate will be responsible for paying the amount of R100 000.00 to South African Revenue Service (SARS) in Estate Duty.

Estate Duty is due to SARS within one year of date of death, or 30 days from date of assessment if assessment is issued within one year of date of death. Currently, interest is charged at 6% p.a. on late payments.

Compiled by: Laura Ames

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other 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 legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

YOUR WILL – AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT

a4Life is unpredictable, therefore we advise our clients to lose no time in drawing up their will and planning their estate. Below are important reasons why this should be one of your top priorities.

 

Q: Why should I have a will?

A: A will enables you to name your heirs. Should you die without a will (intestate) your assets will be divided according to the Intestate Succession Act. That may advantage people whom you did not wish to name as heirs.

Q: Who is allowed to sign your will as witness?

A: Your will must be signed in the presence of two witnesses, who also sign in each other’s presence. Only persons older than 14 years are qualified to sign as witnesses.

Q: What is the cost of Executor’s fees?

A:The maximum remuneration payable to an Executor is determined by law and is currently fixed at 3.5% of the total gross estate value. Executor’s fees should, however, be negotiated with the person who has been appointed as Executor of your will.

Q: How often should I revise my will?

A:  It is recommended that wills be revised at least every 2 years. It is also important to review your will after events like marriage, birth, divorce or the purchase of property.

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other 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 legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

YOUR WILL AND FOREIGN ASSETS

A4BEach country has its own legislation regarding inheritance and signing of wills. It would therefore be possible that your South African will does not comply with all the requirements of the country where your foreign assets are located. This may result in the non-inheritance of your foreign assets in terms of your last will and testament. It is therefore imperative that you should have two wills if you have foreign assets; one for your South African assets and one regarding your foreign assets according to the regulations of the country where these assets are located. It is always important to plan your estate carefully; should you have foreign assets, however, you must take extra care to ensure that you meet all the requirements of the relevant country’s legislation.

The aim with planning an estate is ultimately to reach your goals in the distribution of your assets and liabilities. These goals should make provision for the management of your estate during your lifetime, but also after your passing.

A further consequence of the increasing  exposure to international investments is that South Africans are also exposed to foreign fiduciary services, including wills for their foreign assets.

Whether it is truly necessary to draw up a separate foreign will or just one global will depends on the following:

  • where your foreign assets are located;
  • the nature of the assets and the type of products in which these assets have been invested; and
  • who takes care of the administration of your foreign assets/investments.

Should your South African will be drawn up in Afrikaans, it may be necessary to have it translated and sealed before sending it to the foreign executor/agent. This could be time-consuming and very costly.

A separate foreign will also has other advantages: your foreign will is administered in line and simultaneously with your South African assets; an executor/agent who is familiar with the required procedures in the relevant country where your assets are located will save you time and money; and someone who draws up wills professionally within the jurisdiction of the relevant country can provide you with advice regarding the possible dangers in relation to tax accountability and hereditary succession when it comes to assets outside the borders of South Africa.

Although we would recommend drawing up a second will with reference to foreign assets, we suggest that, should there be any mention of foreign assets, your South African will must be drawn up in English and it should not pertinently refer to the fact that the document is only applicable to your South African assets.

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other 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 legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DIE WITHOUT A WILL?

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Attorneys often emphasise the fact that you should have a will drawn up and revise it regularly in order to facilitate the bequeathing of your possessions after your death.  Many people still omit to do this. The problem is that, should a person die without leaving a valid will, in other words intestate, his/her estate will be administered and distributed according to the stipulations of the Intestate Succession Act  No 81 of 1987.

Below is a basic example of the effect an intestate death will have on the distribution of an estate. Should the composition of the beneficiaries of the deceased be more complex, the administering of the estate in terms of the Intestate Succession Act will also become more complicated.

Let us assume that person A dies and the value of his estate is R1.8 million. He is survived by his wife (B) and 2 children, of which one is of age and the other is a minor.

Scenario 1:

A and B is married out of community of property.

B inherits R125 000 or a child’s portion, whichever is the largest.

A child’s portion is calculated by dividing the total value of the estate by the spouse and number of children, in other words R1.8 million/3 = R600 000.

The spouse and children therefore inherits R600 000 each.

The inheritance of the minor will be paid to the Master’s Guardian’s Fund, as there is no will which determines that the minor heir’s inheritance should be placed in e.g. a Testamentary Trust, where the funds will be administrated on behalf of the minor until he/she becomes of age or reaches any other specified age.

Scenario 2:

A and B is married in community of property.

B inherits 50% of the estate due to the marriage in community of property.

B also inherits R125 000 or a child’s portion, whichever is the largest, with regard to the other half of the estate.

A child’s portion is calculated by dividing half of the total value of the estate by the spouse and number of children, in other words R900 000/3 = R300 000.

The spouse inherits R1.2 million and the children R300 000 each.

The inheritance of the minor will be paid to the Master’s Guardian’s Fund, as there is no will which determines that the minor heir’s inheritance should be placed in e.g. a Testamentary Trust, where the funds will be administrated on behalf of the minor until he/she becomes of age or reaches any other specified age. It is therefore clear that Intestate inheritance may result in an unpractical and often even impracticable division of assets.

The fact that the inheritance of the minor will be paid to the Master’s Guardian’s Fund may place the spouse in such a dilemma that she has to devise plans to finance the amount payable to the Master’s Guardian’s Fund to the benefit of the minor heir. Alternatively she could register a mortgage against an immovable property in favour of the Master’s Guardian’s Fund.

In case of death without a valid will there will of course be no person or institution appointed to support the surviving spouse in the administering of the estate. This should not usually present a huge obstacle, but the spouse should consider carefully which person or institution she appoints to assist her in this task. She should also negotiate the Executor’s fee with the relevant person or institution before the administering of the estate commences.

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other 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 legal adviser for specific and detailed advice.  Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

MUTUAL WILLS

The most general mutual will is that of a married couple. This does not mean, however, that the estates are joined and that the Testator and Testatrix have to make a joint decision about the distribution of their estates. Each party may make independent decisions about the distribution of his/her estate within one will.  As a result a mutual will is very popular among married couples, but the person who draws up the will, should take into consideration each party’s assets, liabilities and needs regarding inheritance to determine whether he/she should draw up separate wills or a mutual will, i.e. 2 separate wills within one document or one will which determines that merging of the respective or mutual wills should take place.

In the case of a mutual will there should be a description regarding the execution of the will should the spouses die simultaneously or within a short period, e.g. 30 days of each other. For argument’s sake, the Testator and Testatrix could be in a car accident. The testator dies and the Testatrix is in a critical condition, rendering her unable to draw up a new will; provision should be made in the will  for such scenarios.

Legislation acknowledges the principle of freedom of bequeathment; each person therefore has the right to bequeath his/her assets according to his/her preference. Despite a Testator and Testatrix having a mutual will, one of the parties could decide, for whatever reason, to have another individual will drawn up which is dated later than the mutual will. The surviving spouse will not be able to insist that the mutual will be accepted as the last will and testament.

One party also does not need the other party’s permission to amend a mutual will. Each party has the right to draw up a new will at any time, without any obligation to inform the other party thereof. Should the mutual will turn out to be the last will of the deceased, it will become the valid will regarding the deceased, regardless of whether the surviving spouse had already drawn up another will.

Merging of estates takes place when the estates of two people are joined into one upon the death of  the first spouse, mainly with the aim of managing an asset in which both parties had an interest. Normally a limited right, such as a usufruct, should be created in terms of any of the assets in the estate to the benefit of the surviving spouse. Even with merging of estates the surviving party has the right to accept or reject the mutual will and the resulting merging of estate assets after the death of the first party. It boils down to the fact that, even where merging of estates is determined in the will, the mutual will does not have much value if the surviving party rejects the stipulations of the will after the death of the deceased party.

The way in which the creation of the merge is worded in a will is of extreme importance, as the wrong choice of words could have a major impact on the payment of policies outside the estate which should fall to the surviving party’s lot. The acceptance or rejection of a will in which a merge was created should also be considered carefully, as there are several implications, e.g. Transfer duty, Donations tax and Capital Gains Tax.

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other 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 legal adviser for specific and detailed advice.

I AM UNABLE TO SIGN A DOCUMENT: WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A VALID WILL?

In case of a person being unable to sign a document for whatever reason, there are certain regulations which should be observed to ensure the validity of the document. Someone can be requested to sign it on your behalf or you can sign it by making a mark (such as a thumb print or a cross).

Should you make a mark or someone sign it on your behalf, the document must adhere to the following requirements:

  • The will must be in writing. It can be handwritten, printed or typed.
  • The testator must sign the will at the bottom of the last page by making a mark (e.g. a thumb print or cross), or if someone signs on his/her behalf, this person must sign at the bottom of the last page in the presence and at the instruction of the testator.
  • The mark or signature of the person who signs on behalf of the testator must be made in the presence of two or more authorised witnesses as well as a Commissioner of Oaths.
  • The witnesses must acknowledge and sign the will in the presence of the testator and one another. Should the will be signed by another person, it must also be executed in the presence of the testator and a Commissioner of Oaths.
  • Should the will consist of more than one page, each page save the last must be signed, anywhere on the page, by the testator or the person who signs on his/her behalf.
  • A Commissioner of Oaths must certify that he/she is satisfied with the identity of the testator and that the will reflects the wishes of the testator.
  • The Commissioner of Oaths must sign a certificate and also sign anywhere on each page of the will.

Legislation regarding where the Commissioner of Oaths , the testator and witnesses should sign the will, as well as where and when the Commissioner of Oaths should add his certificate to the will, can be confusing. We therefore recommend that each page of the will be signed by the testator, witnesses and Commissioner of Oaths, and if the will consists of more than one page, that the certificate from the Commissioner of Oaths be added to each page.

Should a will or parts thereof be deemed as invalid after your death because these requirements were not met, it may have dramatic consequences for those whom you meant to benefit from your will. Therefore, to avoid such consequences, make sure that you meet all the necessary requirements.

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other 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 legal adviser for specific and detailed advice.

SHOULD I DRAFT A WILL?

A mother who has always wanted her daughter to inherit her diamond engagement ring may never get her wish if she dies without leaving a valid written will. The mother’s estate would then be distributed in terms of the Intestate Succession Act No. 81 of 1987.

Taking the time to draft a will can leave you with the peace of mind that your assets will be distributed according to your wishes as far as possible. Your will should reflect exactly how you want your assets to be dealt with after your death and should not be contra bonos mores (against good morals). It should also not amount to “ruling from the grave”.

There are a number of legal requirements that have to be complied with for a will to be valid. If it does not comply with all of these requirements it could be found to be invalid. Your estate would then also be dealt with in terms of the Intestate Succession Act of 1987. It is therefore of the utmost importance that you obtain the assistance of someone with the necessary specialised skill and knowledge to assist you with the drafting of your will.

A will should also regularly be revised and updated to adapt to your changing circumstances, for example after getting married, and when there is a child on the way. Section 2B of the Wills Act No. 7 of 1953 (as amended by the Law of Succession Act No. 43 of 1992) deals specifically with a change in marital status by way of divorce, and reads as follows:

“If any person dies within three months after his marriage was dissolved by a divorce or annulment by a competent court and that person executed a will before the date of such dissolution, that will shall be implemented in the same manner as it would have been implemented if his previous spouse had died before the date of the dissolution concerned, unless it appears from the will that the testator intended to benefit his previous spouse notwithstanding the dissolution of his marriage.”

This can be explained by way of the following example: A and B get divorced and B dies within three months of the date of the divorce. B’s will was executed before they got divorced. Unless B’s will specifically indicated that A must benefit from B’s estate despite the divorce, B’s estate will then be distributed as if A died before they got divorced. A will therefore not inherit from B’s estate in this scenario. However, should B die more than 3 months after the divorce and B’s will, which benefits A, was not changed, then it will be seen as if B intended A to inherit, despite the divorce.

A person who was previously married and who remarries, should ensure that the necessary changes are made to his/her will. If not, this could have profound consequences for the “new” spouse, especially if the will still benefits the spouse from the previous marriage.

When there are minor children in the picture, it is advisable to make adequate provision for their living costs and education in your will. This can be done by creating a testamentary trust of which the minor children can be beneficiaries.

Thinking and talking about one’s passing is not a pleasant subject. Having a valid, clear and unambiguous will can prevent unpleasant family feuds caused by them having to make decisions about the distribution of your estate. It is certainly worth the time and effort to have a valid written will in place.

References:
Drafting of Wills 2013 – LEAD
Intestate Succession Act 81/1987
Wills Act 7/1953

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other 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 legal adviser for specific and detailed advice.

THE LIVING WILL

Most  people are familiar with a will or testament and understand the importance of having this legal declaration drafted, by which the testator nominates an executor to manage his or her estate and provide for the distribution of his or her property to beneficiaries when he or she dies.

But how many people have considered drafting a living will?

A living will does not deal with assets, heirs and beneficiaries, but with the philosophy of death and dying, and should be considered carefully and drafted by a professional.

A living will is a legal document expressing a person’s wishes regarding life-prolonging medical treatment when that person can no longer voice his or her wishes.  It is also referred to as an advance medical directive.

A typical clause in a living will would read as follows:

If the time comes when I can no longer take part in decisions for my own future, let this declaration stand as my directive.

If I suffer from physical illness or impairment expected to cause me severe distress, rendering  me incapable of rational existence, from which there is no reasonable prospect of recovery,  I withhold my consent to be kept alive by artificial means and do not give my consent to any form of tube-feeding when I am dying; and I request that I receive whatever quantity of drugs and intravenous fluids as may be required to keep me comfortable and  free from pain  even if the moment of death is hastened. I withhold my consent to any attempt at resuscitation, should my heart and breathing stop and my prognosis is hopeless.

The living will tells the doctor and family that the patient does not consent to being kept alive artificially. It speaks for the patient at a time when the patient may be unable to communicate.

South African law and most religions accepts the validity of the living will, but none of the main religions accept euthanasia.

Euthanasia is against the law. Sean Davison, the respected UWC professor who helped his 85-year-old terminally ill mother, Patricia Ferguson, die in New Zealand by preparing a lethal dose of morphine, was arrested in New Zealand in September 2010 on an attempted murder charge.

It is important to have a properly drafted, legal living will to avoid far reaching and traumatic consequences for the loved ones that stay behind.

Many lawyers who practice in the area of estate planning include a living will and a health care power of attorney in their package of estate planning documents.

The advantages of a living will

  1. The directives respect the patient’s human rights, and in particular his or her right to reject medical treatment.
  2. It encourages full discussion about end-of-life decisions.
  3. It also means that the medical staff and caregivers are aware of the patient’s wishes, and knowing what the patient wants means that doctors are more likely to give appropriate treatment.
  4. It will avoid the situation where the patient’s family and friends have to take the difficult decisions.

Disadvantages of  a living will

  1.  Drafting this document  can  be very depressing.
  2. The person may still be healthy and not in a position to actually imagine that he or she could ever be in the position where they would voluntarily give up living.
  3. When the time comes to act on the living will the patient might have changed his or her mind and it is then often difficult to amend the document.

Important points to consider

  1. The living will should not be incorporated or attached to the last will and testament, which is only acted upon after death.
  2. A living will does not become effective unless the patient becomes incapacitated; until then the patient will be able to choose appropriate treatment.
  3. A certificate by the patient’s doctor and another independent doctor certifying that the patient is either suffering from a terminal illness or permanently unconscious, is required before the living will becomes effective. In the case of a heart attack, the living will does not take effect. A living will is only executed when ultimate recovery is hopeless.
  4. You have to notify your doctor and family of your living will and preferably have copies of the document available for the doctor, hospital  and  family.

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other 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 legal adviser for specific and detailed advice.

SOME POINTERS FOR PLANNING YOUR ESTATE

The main aim of planning your estate is to ensure that as much of the accumulated wealth is utilised for your own benefit and for the maximum utilisation of dependents on your death.”Estate planning” has been defined as the process of creating and managing a programme that is designed to:

  1. Preserve, increase and protect your assets during your lifetime;
  2. Ensure the most effective and beneficial distribution thereof to succeeding generations.

It is a common misconception that it revolves solely around the making of a Last Will and Testament, or the structuring of affairs so as to reduce estate duty.

Each person’s estate is unique and should be structured according to his/her own unique set of circumstances, goals and objectives.

The lack of liquidity on the date of death may cause for the deceased’s family members and dependents to suffer hardship, as certain assets might be sold by the executor to generate the cash needed.

Liquidity means that there should be enough cash funds to provide for:

  1. Paying estate duty;
  2. Settling estate liabilities and administration costs;
  3. Providing for other taxation liabilities that may arise at death, such as capital gains tax.

Technically the estate is frozen until such time as the Master of the High Court has issued Letters of Executorship.

Dying without executing a valid Last Will and Testament, your estate will be dealt with as an intestate estate, and the laws relating to intestate succession will apply. The Intestate Succession Act determines that the surviving spouse will inherit the greater of R125 000 or a child’s share. A child’s share is determined by dividing the total value of the estate by the number of the children and the surviving spouse. If the spouses were married in community of property, one half of the estate goes to the surviving spouse as a consequence of the marriage, and the other half devolves according to the rules of intestate succession. If there is no surviving spouse or dependents, the estate is divided between the parents and/or siblings. In the absence of parents or siblings, the estate is divided between the nearest blood relatives.

An executor is entitled to the following remuneration:

  1. Remuneration fixed by the deceased in the Last Will and Testament; or
  2. 3.5% of gross assets; or
  3. 6% on income accrued and collected from date of death.

Executor’s remuneration is subject to VAT where the executor is registered as a vendor.

Where the value of the estate exceed R3.5 million, estate duty will become payable on the balance in excess of R3.5 million, with the exception of the property bequeathed to a surviving spouse, which are exempt from estate duty and/or capital gains tax.

Section 3 of the Subdivision of Agricultural Land Act prevents the subdivision of agricultural land, and such land being registered in undivided shares in more than one person’s name is subject to Ministerial approval.

A minor child is a person under the age of 18 years of age, and any funds bequeathed to a minor child will be held by the Guardian’s Fund, which falls under the administration of the Master of the High Court. These funds are not freely accessible, and are usually invested at below market interest rates. It is thus advisable to provide for minors by means of a trust.

The Close Corporations Act provides that, subject to the association agreement, where an heir is to inherit a member’s interest (in terms of the deceased’s Will), the consent of the remaining members (if any) must be obtained. If no consent is given within 28 days after it was requested by the executor, then the executor is forced to sell the member’s interest.

Section 3(3)(d) of Estate Duty Act determines that where an asset is transferred to a trust during an estate planner’s lifetime, yet the estate planner, as trustee of the trust retains such power as would allow him to dispose of the trust asset(s) unilaterally for his own or his beneficiaries’ benefit during his lifetime, then such asset(s) may be deemed to be property of the estate planner and included in his estate for estate duty purposes.

Where the parties are married in community of property, the surviving spouse will have a claim for 50% of the value of the combined estate, thus reducing the actual value of the estate by 50%. The estate is divided after all the debts have been settled in a deceased estate (not including burial costs and estate duty, as these are the sole obligations of the deceased and not the joint estate). Only half of any assets can be bequeathed.

The proceeds from life insurance policies can be used to:

  1. Generate income to maintain dependents while the estate is dealt with;
  2. Pay estate expenses: funeral, income tax, estate administration, estate duty.

All proceeds of South African “domestic” policies taken out on the estate planner’s life, where there is no beneficiary nominated on the policy, will fall into his estate on his death.

Where a beneficiary is nominated on the policy, the proceeds will be deemed property for estate duty purposes, even and although they are paid directly to the beneficiary (subject to partial exemptions based on policy premiums).

Policies which are exempted from inclusion for estate duty purposes are buy and sell, key man policies, and those policies ceded to a spouse or child in terms of an antenuptial contract.

Certain assets in a deceased estate are excluded from capital gains tax:

  1. Assets for personal use (with certain exceptions);
  2. Assets that accrue to the surviving spouse;
  3. Assets bequeathed to approved public benefit organisations;
  4. The proceeds from life assurance policies; interests in pension, provident or retirement annuity funds;
  5. The first R2 million in respect of a primary residence;
  6. The first R750 000 in respect of small business assets;
  7. Currency, excluding gold and platinum coins.

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other 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 legal adviser for specific and detailed advice.