45.    General principle

(1)     Subject to subparagraphs (2), (3) and (4), a natural person or a special trust must, when determining an aggregate capital gain or aggregate capital loss, disregard –

(a)     so much of a capital gain or capital loss determined in respect of the disposal of the primary residence of that person or that special trust as does not exceed R2 million; or

(b)     a capital gain determined in respect of the disposal of the primary residence of that person or that special trust if the proceeds from the disposal of that primary residence do not exceed R2 million.

(1A)

(a)     The Minister may announce in the national annual budget contemplated in section 27(1) of the Public Finance Management Act, that, with effect from a date or dates mentioned in that announcement, the amount of the capital gain or capital loss determined in terms of subparagraph (1)(a) or the amount of the capital gain determined in terms of subparagraph (1)(b) will be altered to the extent mentioned in the announcement.

(b)     If the Minister makes an announcement of an alteration contemplated in paragraph (a), that alteration comes into effect on the date or dates determined by the Minister in that announcement and continues to apply for a period of 12 months from that date or those dates subject to Parliament passing legislation giving effect to that announcement within that period of 12 months.

[Subparagraph (1A) inserted by section 81 of Act 23 of 2018 effective on 17 January 2019]

(2)     Where more than one natural person or special trust jointly holds an interest in a primary residence at the same time, the amount to be disregarded in terms of subparagraph (1) must be apportioned in relation to each interest so held.

(3)     Subject to paragraph 48, only one residence may be a primary residence of a person or a special trust for any period during which that person or special trust held an interest in more than one residence.

(4)     Subparagraph (1)(b) does not apply where a natural person or a special trust disposes of an interest in a residence which is or was a primary residence, and that person or a beneficiary of that special trust or a spouse of that person or beneficiary –

(a)     was not ordinarily resident in that residence throughout the period commencing on or after the valuation date during which that person or special trust held that interest; or

(b)     used that residence or a part thereof for the purposes of carrying on a trade for any portion of the period commencing on or after the valuation date during which that person or special trust held that interest.