Table Talk - Tax-free savings products

Question:

Do you think Tax-Free Savings products are a good investment vehicle for the average investor?

Answer:

The fact that these products give investors the opportunity to invest tax free is certainly something any investor should consider as part of their overall investment portfolio. However, you should consider their benefits and limitations very carefully to determine whether it would be an appropriate investment for you. Some benefits include:

• All growth in the underlying investment is fully exempt from any tax on interest, rental income, dividends or capital gains;
• Investors can withdraw their money at any time (although at Prudential we would encourage our clients to invest for the long term);
• Contributions are flexible – either via a lump sum or debit order; and
• Parents can open separate accounts for their children.

One consideration when deciding whether to invest or not is that contributions to Tax-Free Savings products can only be made from after-income tax money. If you are investing for retirement, this leaves you less to invest and to grow compared to Retirement Annuities (RAs), where all contributions are exempt from income tax (up to a limit of 15% of your total taxable income – note these limits are changing from 1 March 2016), as well as underlying growth being exempt from all taxes. This means that, from a maximum return perspective, it would probably be better to exhaust your RA contribution limit every year before investing in a Tax-Free Savings product. However, if you are investing for a shorter time or require more accessibility, RA’s do not allow you to withdraw your accumulated savings until age 55, whereas Tax-Free Savings products are accessible at any time.  We would suggest that you consult a Financial Adviser to ensure you make the most efficient decisions for your unique personal circumstances. 

Another consideration is that the government has imposed strict contribution limits of R500,000 per individual over a lifetime and R30,000 per year for Tax-Free Savings products. If you exceed these limits, SARS will levy a penalty of 40% of the amount in excess of the limits, so it’s important to keep track of your total contributions. Because parents are allowed to open Tax-Free Savings products for each child, the R500,000 limit becomes less restrictive: a family of four will have an aggregate limit of R120,000 per year and R2 million over their lifetime, which starts to become a substantial amount. This makes Tax-Free Savings products very suitable vehicles for saving towards a child’s tertiary education, for example. 

At Prudential we have so far seen a very positive client response to our Tax-Free range of unit trusts, with the Prudential Inflation Plus and Balanced Funds proving particularly popular because of their well-diversified nature and strong historical performance. Note that we do not charge any performance fees on any of the funds, which are also now also available on major investment platforms.

To invest in our tax-free unit trusts, complete an online application form now. Alternatively, for more information, contact our Client Services team on 0860 105 775 or at info@prudential.co.za.