Donation Tax - All you need to know

Receive a gift or donation from a generous family member or friend recently? Or, maybe you've just donated money, shares or even a house to someone you felt deserved it? Either way, if you're the giver or receiver of a donation or gift, you should know that SARS needs to be notified of these donations, plus you should understand how to declare them from a tax perspective. Let's find out more.

How do I calculate Donations Tax?

If you've received the donation (the Donee):

If you've received a donation or gift, then the good news is that it's 100% tax-free (i.e. you won't be taxed on it). There's no tax consequence for you as a beneficiary but you must remember to declare it in your Tax Return (ITR12) as an "Amount Considered Non-Taxable." This is to make sure that you're declaring all of your income to SARS, including the non-taxable bits.

There is one exception to this though. If the Donor (the person who gave you the donation or gift) does not pay the Donations Tax on time, then the Donor and you (as the Donee) become equally responsible for the tax. You certainly don't want to be paying taxes on a gift, so if you're ever on the receiving end of a large gift (i.e. over R150,000 from 2027 and over R100,000 from 2026), make sure you raise these important tax consequences with the Donor.

If you're the one making the donation (the Donor):

If you've been the generous giver, you're liable for Donations Tax, which is calculated at a flat rate of 20% on the value of the donation or gift, up to R30 million. If the donation exceeds R30 million, then the amount over and above R30 million will be taxed at 25%.

However, there is some good news. Donations Tax only kicks in once you've donated more than R150,000 (2026 and earlier: R100,000) in a single tax year. In other words, you can make multiple donations in a tax year, and as long as the total value of the donations doesn't exceed R150,000, you won't have to pay any Donations Tax at all.

Please note

Donations made to organisations that are not registered as PBOs with SARS are not tax deductible - this means it won't aid in reducing your tax liability with SARS.

Here's an example:

Peter has had a great year and his business is doing well. He'd like to share some of his good fortune with his friends and family.

First, he gives his friend Willem a cash cheque for R10,000, because he knows they've been struggling to pay school fees. Then he decides that he no longer needs that old car gathering dust in his garage, so he gives it to his daughter who's at university (valued at R60,000). Finally, he sends his nephew, who wants to propose to his long-term girlfriend, a gift of R40,000 to help pay for the wedding. What will Peter have to pay in Donations Tax?

We first need to calculate the total value of his donations for the 2027 tax year.

Worked Example

Peter's donations - 2027 tax year

Cash to friend WillemR10,000

Car to daughter (valued at)R60,000

Gift to nephewR40,000

Total donationsR110,000

Annual exemption thresholdR150,000

Donations Tax payableR0

Remember that the Donations Tax threshold is R150,000. Therefore, Peter will pay Donations Tax of R0.

How do I pay Donations Tax?

After making a donation, the donor needs to fill in an IT144 form and send it to SARS. It's important to know that Donations Tax must be paid by the end of the month following the month during which the donation was made, and that it's not part of your normal tax return. Payment must be made through eFiling.

FAQ

I gave my mother and sister R25,000 each. Can I deduct it as an expense against my income, and how much Donations Tax should I pay on it?

You can't deduct this as an expense. You will also not have to pay tax on it if it was the only donation that you made for the tax year, as it is below the R150,000 threshold, meaning that your donations are tax-free.

I'm a South African citizen and would like to receive a monetary gift from my sister who is a UK citizen only — is there any tax implication for me?

Donations Tax is payable by the donor and not you, the recipient. Therefore, there are no tax implications for you, however you need to disclose it in your tax return (ITR12) as an "amount not considered taxable". Also, there is no Donations Tax payable on donations from a foreign resident to a South African resident, as long as the funds donated are from a foreign source (i.e. from work your sister has performed in the UK).

My father has sold his house at a discounted price to my eldest sister and some of the proceeds of the sale will be split between the remaining siblings. What are the tax implications for my father, and is there any way to minimise the taxes which he will have to pay?

The difference between the market value of the house (confirmed by a property assessor) and the discounted price will be considered a donation, and will therefore be subject to Donations Tax of 20%. However, there is an annual exemption of R150,000 per person per year, so only the donation amount exceeding R150,000 will be taxed. In addition to the Donations Tax payable on the discount, he will need to pay Donations Tax on the proceeds that he distributes to his other children. Your father could also distribute the proceeds over multiple tax years, in order to take advantage of the R150,000 annual exemption.

I want to donate R120,000 as a gift to a friend to help him pay back a loan. Does this amount attract tax?

Since the annual donations exemption is R150,000 per tax year, the R120,000 would not attract tax.

Will my husband be expected to pay Donations Tax on cash he transferred to me for safe keeping?

No, a donation between spouses is tax-free and you won't need to declare it on your tax return.

Donation Tax - All you need to know