While the government, businesses, and South Africans in general seek relief from power shedding by investing in solar, fraudsters and crooks hunt for ways to profit.
The City of Tshwane has issued a warning to citizens about fraudsters posing as city personnel launching a new solar scheme.
Scammers masquerade as bogus contractors, driving about in a vehicle that seems to be a City of Tshwane credit control contractor truck.
Under the guise of a “Tshwane Solar Installation Drive,” the “contractors” snap photographs of dwellings. The criminals approach houses and ask for identification credentials.
The city stated that the fraudsters are now active in Soshanguve, but urged all people not to fall for the scam because there is no solar installation push going place.
Residents were urged to report any suspicious behaviour or activity by these bogus contractors to police.
The solar fraud is rising at the same time as a new criminal trend in which solar panels are targeted.
Fidelity ADT, a private security firm, warned in February that as more houses adopt alternative power sources, thieves are discovering new methods to exploit them.
Solar panels are increasingly being stolen from residences, generally during the day when homeowners are at work, according to the organisation.
According to Fidelity ADT, thieves’ patterns of behaviour are always evolving and changing, making it increasingly crucial for homeowners to stay current on security trends.
In the previous year, South African families imported almost R5 billion in residential solar equipment as many sought methods to avoid Eskom and protracted bouts of load shedding.
Solar construction and projects are projected to rise dramatically in the country after National Treasury’s declaration that private individuals may obtain an R15,000 discount on solar panel installations and corporations can get a 125% rebate on investment in solar projects.
How does the tax break work?
- Who can claim: Individuals who pay personal income tax can claim the rebate against their tax liability. This rebate is not intended for solar installations at business premises.
- What can be claimed: Individuals can claim a rebate to the value of 25% of the cost of new and unused solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, up to a maximum of R15 000 per individual.
- What are the limits: Only new and unused solar PV panels qualify. Only solar PV panels with a minimum capacity of 275W per panel (design output) qualify for the rebate.
Other components of a system – batteries, inverters, fittings or diesel generators – and installation costs do not qualify. Portable panels will also not qualify. - When is the rebate in effect: The rebate applies to qualifying solar PV panels that are brought into use for the first time in the period from 1 March 2023 to 29 February 2024.
- How you can claim: Individuals will be able to claim the rebate if they have a VAT invoice that indicates the cost of the solar PV panels separately from other items, along with proof of payment, and a Certificate of Compliance evidencing that the solar PV panels were brought into use for the first time in the period from 1 March 2023 to 29 February 2024. PAYE taxpayers will be able to claim the rebate on assessment during 2023/24 filing season. Provisional taxpayers will be able to claim the rebate against provisional and final payments.
