On 13 October 2020, National Treasury and SARS published their responses on the Draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill (“TLAB”), which included potential relief for South African expatriates who were unable to leave South Africa owing to the Covid-19 lockdown.
The protracted lockdown in South Africa resulted in the Department of Home Affairs (“DHA”) offering limited emergency services. South African citizens and permanent residents seeking Civic Services such as unabridged birth and marriage certificates were left frustrated as existing applications were indefinitely delayed.
National Treasury has responded to some of the key changes proposed in its Draft Tax Law Amendment Bill (TLAB) and Draft Tax Administration Laws Amendment Bill (Draft TALAB) – including questions around emigration and harsher punishments for taxpayers.
South African expatriates who were unable to leave South Africa on account of the lockdown will be relieved to learn that the requirements of the foreign employment exemption (Section10(1)(o)(ii)) will be relaxed.
South Africans who have emigrated or plan to permanently leave South Africa have until 28 February 2021, just over four months from now, to effect financial emigration. National Treasury has laid down the new law and made it clear – the consequence otherwise is your retirement money will be locked in for three years, you […]
This year has been a journey into unchartered waters for us all, and a particularly tense time as far as South African expatriates are concerned. For many expats, more and more questions have been left unanswered as this filing season, and the current tax year begins to draw to a close.
The time for South Africans who consider emigrating to learn their fate around their pensions is drawing closer.
A number of tax and financial groups have issued warnings over a new draft bill which will introduce changes for South Africans looking to take their retirement funds out of the country.
“Expats who follow shady advice to deregister as taxpayers with SARS will suffer in the long run,” says Jonty Leon, Legal Manager (Expatriate Tax) at Tax Consulting SA.
The draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill (“TLAB”) was published on 31 July 2020. As announced in the Budget Speech, any South African leaving in future will be subject to a much stricter process from 1 March 2021 onwards. But there was also a surprise 3-year lockup announcement for anyone with a South African pension fund, […]
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