Momentous Wealth Taxation Event Lifts Veil On Offshore Structures

A momentous event, held on 22 August 2022, drew a massive audience, comprising many well-known high net worth VIPs, senior SARS officials and officials from other African Revenue Authorities, tax heads in various capacities, top wealth managers, academics and other notable attendees. Hosted by the South African Institute of Taxation (SAIT), in collaboration with Tax…

Expats Tax Residency Reset: Is SARS Constantly Shifting Goalposts?

The South African Revenue Service’s (“SARS”) focus on South Africans abroad was first revealed in the 2017 Budget Speech. Their reasons were only revealed in the pursuant Parliamentary debate, where in the Q&A session it was shared that National Treasury and SARS had been keeping a close eye on expatriate tax compliance. Nicolas Botha Compliance…

Wealth Tax – Is The Rumour Being Realised?

With discussions on imposing a wealth tax being rife in preceding years, policy makers are turning to the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”) to look into the feasibility of this new proposed tax, to bridge the “ widest wealth gap in the world ”. Jashwin Baijoo Legal Manager, Africa Tax and Compliance This was seen…

Valuable Benefits Of An Emigration TCS PIN And SARS Non-Resident Tax Status Confirmation Letter

Of late, digital news platforms have been awash with volumes of contradicting information regarding the Emigration Tax Compliance Status (TCS) PIN and SARS Non-Resident Tax Status Confirmation Letter. For the benefit of the taxpayers, more especially expatriates, we see it necessary to clarify the different uses and benefits of these two very important documents in…

South Africans In Guernsey, Jersey And The Isle Of Man Are Low-Hanging Fruit For SARS

South African expatriates living in Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man are under grave threat from the South African Revenue Service (SARS). This is according to Thomas Lobban, Legal Manager, Cross-Border Taxation at Tax Consulting South Africa, who recently presented sold-out seminars on each of the isles to build awareness of this danger. “None…

What South African Expatriates Need To Know About Tax Before They Return Home

Expatriates, beware! If you ceased your tax residency through the Financial Emigration process, you may require substantial reasoning for your return to avoid any repercussions from the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Martin Bezuidenhout Expat Tax Attorney This is true if you successfully applied to SARS to be recognised as a non-resident for tax purposes…

Expat Confusion As SARS Disables Tax Residency Checkbox

An ITR-12 checkbox, indicating a taxpayer ceased tax residency in South Africa, is greyed out this tax season. This has confused many eFiling users wishing to leave the country permanently. “Which line do I tick to ensure that I am a non-tax resident?” asked one taxpayer. “The second option is blank for me. However, I…

SARS Letter Confirms SA Emigrants’ Non-Tax-Residency Status – If They Can Prove It

With the introduction of a formal SARS Non-Resident Tax Status Confirmation Letter in 2021, South African expatriates may finally relax knowing that their foreign income is safe from local taxation. However, getting one of these is neither automatic nor easy, requiring applicants to follow stringent residency cessation and verification processes to qualify as non-residents for…

SARS’ New Auto Assessments: Expats, Ensure Up To Date Status To Avoid The Crosshairs

The 2022 tax filing season is now already open, and SARS has introduced a new “auto-assessment” protocol.

We Want To Employ a SA Worker Overseas: What Are The Implications?

We are a South African non-profit organisation looking to appoint a South African citizen in a European country on an employment contract. What would the tax implications be, and do we need to apply for approvals if we proceed? Thomas Lobban, l egal manager: cross-border taxation at Tax Consulting South Africa responds: We are not…