The International Investment Portfolio (IIP) is a UK Sterling denominated personalised portfolio of international shares, bonds, real estate and deposits.
Investors can select one of two managed Discretionary Portfolios, both of which invest in a combination of international shares, bonds, real estate and deposits to suit individual income yield/growth objectives.
This portfolio is designed to produce inflation beating income and capital growth due to its high equity exposure. Capital growth will primarily be a function of income growth as opposed to capital accumulation. A higher risk option.
This portfolio is designed to produce inflation hedged income and capital growth through a balanced asset allocation including equities, real estate and bonds. Capital growth will be a function of both income growth and capital accumulation. A more moderate risk option.
Coca-Cola is the largest seller of non-alcoholic beverages in the world with an offering that includes fizzy drinks, bottled water, energy drinks, fruit juices and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. People in over 180 countries drink almost 2 billion servings of a Coca-Cola product every day.
Unilever is a leading transnational consumer goods company, owning over 400 brands and has a massive footprint in about 190 countries. Its product range includes food and beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products.
Nestlé, established over 150 years ago, is the world’s largest food and beverage company. The company operates in 189 markets across the world and last year, generated approximately 90 billion Swiss Francs in sales.
Our security selection process filters out any security where future dividends are hard to predict — a process which markedly reduces the risks typically associated with equity investing. These companies tend to share five characteristics which ensure predictable dividend growth: 1) fulfil a basic need; 2) strong brands; 3) pricing power; 4) growing markets; and, 5) diversification.
By the nature of their business, they will be largely unaffected by broad governmental, political and economic decisions. They tend to fare well in both recessionary and growth phases of the economic cycle as their products are generally everyday necessities, with market dominance a function of their brand. With a rapidly growing consuming class, these companies are well positioned to take advantage of a growing demand for trusted brands — invest your money where you spend your money.
Where investors have reached their foreign investment allowance limit they can utilise Marriott's asset swap capacity to invest into IIP. This facility is also available to trusts and companies wishing to invest into IIP.
Marriott recommends the use of either a death bed donation and/or a joint account. A death bed donation takes effect on the day preceding the death of the investor and is the legal mechanism for transferring ownership to surviving beneficiaries. As the investment is no longer owned by the original investor on the day of their death, the investment will not form part of an offshore estate for probate purposes.
From a South African tax perspective death bed donations are deemed to be dutiable property of the deceased estate* and therefore still attract estate duty. To avoid double taxation, however, they are excluded from donations tax**.
* in terms of Section 3(3)(b) of the South Africa Estate Duty Act
** in terms of section 56(1) of the South African Income Tax Act
An investor may elect to open a joint account with another investor. In the event of the death of one joint holder, the whole of the portfolio will automatically vest in the joint surviving holder or holders. If a joint account investor elects a death bed donation, the donation has precedence and the investor will be deemed to have donated their investment the day before their death. The investor’s portion of the joint account will therefore be transferred to the listed beneficiaries effective the day before their death.
Joint accounts and death bed donations can be elected in the Investment Mandate. Investors are encouraged to seek independent tax advice suitable to their personal circumstances.
Foreign dividends are taxed at 20%, whilst foreign interest earned is taxed at marginal rates by the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”). SARS allows the foreign dividends tax due to be reduced by any withholding tax applied offshore where the tax payer is the beneficial owner of the security.
IIP investors benefit from a reduction in US withholding tax from 30% to 15% on dividends earned from US equities.
SARS permits an annual foreign investment allowance of R10 million for individuals, and an annual discretionary allowance of R1 million per year. The latter does not require a tax clearance certificate.
If you have reached your individual limit for the year then you can make use of the Marriott asset swap capacity at no extra cost. Please contact the Communication Centre for more details.
The income received from the International Investment Portfolio is considered a foreign dividend by the South African Revenue Service and as such is taxed at a maximum 20%.
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