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EPE CAPITAL PARTNERS LIMITED - Brait unbundling: tax cost allocation for SA income tax purposes and cash payment for fractions

Release Date: 18/07/2024 11:00
Code(s): EPE     PDF:  
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Brait unbundling: tax cost allocation for SA income tax purposes and cash payment for fractions

EPE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD
(INCORPORATED IN THE REPUBLIC OF MAURITIUS)
(REGISTRATION NUMBER: C138883 C1/GBL)
ISIN: MU0522S00005
SHARE CODE: EPE
("Ethos Capital" or "the Company")


BRAIT PLC UNBUNDLING: ALLOCATION OF TAX COST FOR SOUTH AFRICAN INCOME TAX
PURPOSES AND CASH PAYMENT IN RESPECT OF FRACTIONAL ENTITLEMENTS


1.      INTRODUCTION

1.1       Shareholders are referred to the various announcements released by Ethos Capital on
          the JSE's Stock Exchange News Service ("SENS") regarding the unlocking of value for
          shareholders of Ethos Capital and the intention to unbundle the ordinary shares in Brait
          PLC ("Brait") to the Ethos Capital shareholders.

1.2       The purpose of this announcement is to notify shareholders of:

1.2.1     the determination of the base cost of the unbundled Brait ordinary shares ("Brait
          Distribution Shares") and Ethos Capital ordinary shares pursuant to the unbundling;
          and

1.2.2     the amounts which will be used to determine the cash payment in respect of
          fractional entitlements to Brait Distribution Shares to which shareholders may
          become entitled pursuant to the unbundling ("Fractional Entitlements").


1.3       The summary of the tax consequences of the unbundling as set out below represents
          general comments and does not constitute a complete analysis of the tax
          consequences to shareholders pursuant to the unbundling or the payment of Fractional
          Entitlements. It is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted to be, legal or tax
          advice. Neither Ethos Capital, Brait nor its advisors, directors or employees can be held
          responsible for the tax consequences of the unbundling. Shareholders are advised to
          consult their own professional tax advisors in this regard. The tax consequences of the
          unbundling may also be different for non-resident shareholders based on their country
          of residence. This includes the calculation of the costs of the Ethos Capital ordinary
          shares and the Brait Distribution Shares for tax purposes going forward.


2.      ALLOCATION TAX PRINCIPLES

2.1       The unbundling does not constitute an unbundling transaction for South African tax
          purposes as set out in section 46 of the South African Income Tax Act No57 of 1962
          ("Income Tax Act").

2.2       The unbundling distribution constitutes a foreign return of capital as defined in the
          Income Tax Act.

2.3       In accordance with the Eighth Schedule to the Income Tax Act:

2.3.1     where a foreign return of capital by way of a distribution of Brait Distribution Shares is
          received by or accrues to a holder of an Ethos Capital ordinary share, the Ethos Capital
          shareholder must reduce the base cost in respect of each Ethos Capital ordinary share
          by an amount that is based on the market value of the Brait Distribution Shares on the
          date that each Brait Distribution Share accrues to the Ethos Capital shareholder; and

2.3.2     the Ethos Capital shareholder is deemed to have acquired the Brait Distribution Shares
          for an amount equal to the market value thereof on the date that each Brait Distribution
          Share accrues to the Ethos Capital shareholder for purposes of determining the base
          cost thereof.

2.3.3     Shareholders are notified that the closing price of the Brait ordinary shares and the
          Ethos Capital ordinary shares respectively on the JSE Limited on Friday, 19 July 2024,
          being the record date for the Brait Distribution ("Record Date"), will be announced by
          Ethos Capital on Friday, 19 July 2024 in accordance with the JSE Corporate Actions
          Timetable.

2.4       The base cost of each Ethos Capital ordinary share held by an Ethos Capital shareholder
          that qualified for the distribution will need to be reduced by the base cost
          apportionment amount as set out under 3 below.


3.      APPORTIONMENT FOR TAX PURPOSES

3.1       As previously announced, each Ethos Capital shareholder is entitled to receive 0.50857
          Brait Distribution Shares for one Ethos Capital ordinary share held on the Record Date
          ("Distribution Ratio"). The current base cost in respect of each Ethos Capital ordinary
          share must be reduced by an amount that is derived from the market value of the Brait
          Distribution Shares on the date that each Brait Distribution Share accrues to the Ethos
          Capital shareholder. For purposes of this announcement Ethos Capital has assumed
          that this market value will be the closing price of the Brait ordinary shares on the Record
          Date (Friday, 19 July 2024).

3.2       The base cost of each Ethos Capital ordinary share must therefore be reduced by an
          amount in Rand that is based on the distribution ratio of 0.50857 multiplied by the
          closing price of the Brait ordinary shares on the Record Date.

3.3       Ethos Capital will announce this amount along with the closing price of the Brait
          ordinary shares and the Ethos Capital ordinary shares respectively on the JSE Limited
          on Friday, 19 July 2024.


4.      FRACTIONAL ENTITLEMENTS

4.1       Where a shareholder's entitlement to the Brait Distribution Shares in terms of the
          unbundling, calculated in accordance with the Distribution Ratio, gives rise to a fraction
          of any Brait Distribution Share, such allocation must be rounded down to the nearest
          whole number, resulting in allocations of whole Brait Distribution Shares and a cash
          payment in respect of the fraction to such shareholder.

4.2       In accordance with the JSE Listings Requirements, Fractional Entitlements payments to
          shareholders will be calculated based on the volume weighted average traded price of
          the Brait ordinary shares on the LDT+1, being Wednesday, 17 July 2024 ("VWAP on
          LDT+1"), less 10%, as detailed below –


                                                      Amount that will be used to determine
                          VWAP on LDT+1                 the cash payment for the Fractional
                                                                               Entitlements
                                                              (i.e. VWAP on LDT+1 less 10%)
                          100.57150 cents                                    90.51435 cents

4.3       Cash payments in respect of the Fractional Entitlements will be made on Monday, 22
          July 2024 to the CSDP or broker accounts of dematerialised shareholders or to the bank
          accounts of certificated shareholders.

4.4       Certificated shareholders whose bank account details are not held by the transfer
          secretaries, should provide such details to the transfer secretaries to enable payment of
          the cash amount due. Should no details be on record, the funds will be held by the
          Company in trust in terms of the provisions of the Articles of Association of Ethos Capital
          until such time as the details have been provided, whereafter the cash entitlement will
          be paid to the shareholder upon its request without interest.

4.5       Shareholders are informed that, as far as the tax implications of the cash payment in
          respect of the Fractional Entitlements is concerned, the receipt of the cash payment by
          shareholders will typically be subject to capital gains tax for shareholders holding Ethos
          Capital ordinary shares as capital assets, or to income tax for shareholders holding Ethos
          Capital ordinary shares as trading stock, as the case may be.


Ebene, Mauritius (with simultaneous circulation in Johannesburg)
18 July 2024


Sponsor
RAND MERCHANT BANK (A division of FirstRand Bank Limited)


Important Note
Ethos Capital Shareholders are referred to the Declaration Announcement referenced in this
announcement (and accessible on Ethos Capital's website via the following link:
https://ethoscapital.mu/sens/sens-voluntary-nav-and-navps-update-declaration-announcement-
regarding-the-unbundling-of-Brait-plc-shares-and-appointment-of-ceo/) for the full disclaimers
which apply to this announcement (including the information contained herein) and are
incorporated by reference in full in this announcement, as if specifically stated.

Date: 18-07-2024 11:00:00
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