Overview  

South African trusts face the most demanding compliance environment in South Africa’s history, with SARS, the FIC, and the Master of the High Court simultaneously tightening enforcement across tax, anti-money laundering, and beneficial ownership obligations. 

 
Three regulators. Three registers. Three penalty regimes. One set of clients. 

From 1 March 2026, SARS will begin imposing monthly administrative penalties on trusts with outstanding returns — the final piece in a regulatory trifecta that already includes criminal sanctions of up to R10 million and 5 years' imprisonment under the Trust Property Control Act, and administrative fines reaching R50 million under the FIC Act. 

South Africa’s trusts now face simultaneous enforcement from three regulators: 

▶  SARS — Monthly penalties from R250 to R16 000, accruing for up to 35 months; criminal prosecution under section 234 of the TAA; understatement penalties up to 200%. 

▶  FIC — Administrative fines up to R50 million; criminal sanctions up to R100 million or 15 years’ imprisonment for failure to comply with FICA obligations. 

▶  Master of the High Court — Criminal sanctions up to R10 million or 5 years’ imprisonment for failure to maintain and lodge the Beneficial Ownership register. 

This practical webinar is designed to move beyond theory and focus on the real administrative pressures faced by practitioners. It will provide clear guidance on trustee duties, proper record-keeping, minutes and resolutions, compliance requirements, tax considerations and common pitfalls that can expose trustees and advisors to risk.  

Join Adv. Nicolene Schoeman-Louw on 12 March 2026, 10h00 – 12h00 for a focused two-hour session that moves beyond the legislation and into the operational realities facing every tax accountant right now. This is not a theoretical overview. It is actionable guidance for the compliance environment that exists today 

Learning objectives  

Attending this webinar will equip you with the following skills: 

• Understand the nature and purpose of trusts, including the main types and their specific purposes, how they operate in reality and their role in estate planning, asset protection and succession planning. 

• Distinguish between trustee and administrator responsibilities, including the legal duties, powers and potential personal liabilities of trustees, the operational role of the trust administrator and the difference between administrative and fiduciary responsibilities. 

• Apply the legal framework governing trusts with a working understanding of compliance requirements under the Trust Property Control Act as well as obligations to SARS and the Master of the High Court. 

• Implement effective trust administration and record-keeping systems, including maintaining accurate accounting records, resolutions and supporting documentation to ensure transparency and compliance. 

• Identify and mitigate common trust governance and administration risks that include recurring compliance failures and errors that may expose trustees and practitioners to financial, legal or reputational risk. 

Content

The webinar will cover the following topics: 

• Overview of Trust Administration 

  • What trust administration really entails in practice 

  • Different types of trusts and their purposes 

  • Practical implications of trust structures for trustees and beneficiaries 

• Roles, Responsibilities and Governance 

  • Roles and responsibilities of trustees vs trust administrators 

  • The core duties of trustees: rights, obligations, and personal risk 

  • Fiduciary duties, independence, and decision-making 

  • Administration vs fiduciary responsibility – what trustees often get wrong 

• Compliance and Risk Management 

  • Master of the High Court requirements 

  • Trust resolutions and effective minute-keeping 

  • Maintaining proper trust records and documentation 

  • Personal liability risks and how to mitigate them 

• Developing a Trust Administration Strategy 

  • Building a compliant and defensible trust administration framework 

  • Best practices to ensure continuity, transparency, and legal protection

Obtaining your CPD certificate 

This training is compliant with the International Education Standard (IES7) issued by the International Federation of Accountants and recognised for CPD by relevant professional bodies including ACCA, CIMA, IAC, IIA, SAICA and SAIPA. 

All attendees are issued with a CPD certificate available in an online profile.   

About the presenter 

Nicolene  Schoeman-Louw  

Nicolene  Schoeman-Louw is the Founder and Managing Director of Schoeman Law Inc in Cape Town, South Africa. She is an admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa, Conveyancer, Notary Public and Mediator with a passion for assisting entrepreneurs to reach their most ambitious goals.  

Nicolene holds an LLB degree cum laude, LLM from the University of the Free State and a postgraduate diploma in financial planning (CFP) from the University of Stellenbosch. She lectured at the University of the Free State during her studies, presently guest-lectures at Stellenbosch Business School. She also presents seminars and workshops on a wide range of legal topics for various organizations. Nicolene is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of PocketAdvisor where she also doubles up as a skilled facilitator.  

Who should attend? 

The following persons will benefit from attending this webinar: 

• Practising accountants including: CA(SA), Professional Accountant (SA), AGA(SA), FCCA, BAP(SA), BA(SA) and ACCA. 

• Financial advisors. 

• Wealthy individuals. 

• Business owners. 

Price 

• R 450.00 - Online admission - Individual. 

• Group Price 1 - From R337 per person (up to 5 users)  

• Group Price 2 - From R260 per person (up to 10 users)  

• Group Price 3 - From R224 per person (over 11 users) 

Steps to register for the event:  

If you already have a profile, login and register for the webinar. 

If you don’t have a profile, create a free profile then login and register for the webinar. 

Click here to create a free profile (There is no charge to create a profile and gain access to our free Monthly Practice Management Series). 

Click here to find out about the Technical Resource Centre & CPD Subscription options. 

Additional material 

By attending this webinar you will be provided with: 

• A summarised slide presentation. 

• Reference documents and/or course material where available. 

• You can ask questions during the webinar and you will also have access to the presenter after the webinar. 

Corporate training solutions 

At SA Accounting Academy, we recognise the evolving needs of businesses in today's dynamic environment. Beyond our standard webinar offerings, we provide tailored corporate training solutions designed to empower your team with the latest in accounting and professional skills. Whether you're looking for online sessions or face-to-face training, our programs are crafted to ensure a comprehensive and engaging learning experience.  

Drawing inspiration from modern training methodologies, our corporate solutions are interactive, adaptable, and focused on real-world applications. We prioritise hands-on learning, ensuring your team can immediately apply their newfound knowledge in practical scenarios.  

Interested in a bespoke corporate training experience? Reach out to us at corporate@accountingacademy.co.za or call 010 593 0466. Together, let's design a training program that elevates your team's capabilities and aligns with your organisational goals.  

Contact us   

Have any questions or need any assistance? Contact us today!   

• Online chat through our website.   

• WhatsApp: Start chatting (+27635026114)   

• Phone: 010 593 0466   

• E-mail: ticket@accountingacademy.co.za