Does Your Tax Residency Status Impact Your Ability To Receive An Inheritance From South Africa?

The finalisation of a deceased estate is in itself a time consuming and frustrating process for South Africans. Further complexity and exasperation is caused when one of the heirs is an expatriate. Victoria Lancefield General Manager, Financial Emigration & Tax Residency Martin Bezuidenhout Expatriate Tax Attorney When inheriting from an SA source and you are…

Tax Non-Residency Letter – What To Do When SARS Rejects Your Application?

The obtaining of a SARS Non-Resident Confirmation Letter is a key part of the tax roadmap for many of our clients. This is where SARS formally confirms that you are non-resident for tax purposes. They run a system and check to make sure that they relinquish their world-wide taxing right, as this is not something…

Questions Asked By South African Expats Returning Home

There are many South Africans working abroad who have made the decision to return to their home country. For many, the pandemic was the roll of the dice that sealed their fates. For others, the idea of being far away from extended family was the drawing card that tugged at their heart strings. Regardless of…

Isle Of Man Emerging As Territorial Forerunner Among SA Investor Expats

As the South African Revenue Service (SARS) intensifies its focus on the tax compliance of high net-worth individuals (HNWI), a self-governing island nation located in the Irish Sea has steadily emerged as an appealing emigration destination for prospective South African expatriates. HNWI’s targeted A longstanding trade, economic and financial partner to South Africa, the uptick…

Top Tips For Understanding Offshore Transfers

What Are The New Rules? Since the announcement by Treasury effective 1 March 2021 to the process of Financial Emigration and ceasing ones tax residency, the transfer of funds offshore for expatriates (emigrants as known under exchange control), has in some regards become more flexible, in terms of allowing you more than one authorised dealer,…

The Difference Between The SARS Non-Resident Confirmation Letter And The Emigration Tax Compliance Pin

SARS Non-Resident Tax Status Confirmation Letter SARS is now officially issuing confirmation of tax non-residency letters. The letter serves as an additional confirmation one’s non-tax residency, with pre-existing documentation having an expiration date and not always suffice in dealing with some tax non-resident matters. However, this has sparked some confusion amongst the South Africans working…

Ceasing Your Tax Residency

Numerous South African taxpayers are unaware of their tax status in South Africa and what steps need to be taken to remain compliant with the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”). To add to this, there exist confusion and misconceptions surrounding expat tax where taxpayers are advised that they are compliant, but this is in most…

South African Reserve Bank Leaves Authorised Dealers High and Dry

Effective 1 March 2021, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) removed themselves from the process of Financial Emigration. The move was gladly welcomed by Authorised Dealers (banks), as this took away the burdensome process banks had to follow guided by Exchange Control Rulings. Lovemore Ndlovu SARS and Exchange Control Specialist This eliminated the completion of…

Rough Seas Ahead For Taxpayers Working On The Ships

In search for opportunities abroad, many South Africans have taken to the seas. It might not be the same as working in a new country, but it offers a change of scenery while earning a foreign income. Labert Roberts Expatriate Tax Team Manager Working on a rig, a yacht or a cruise ship is not…

Why Emigrating To The Netherlands Is Attractive To South Africans

With various countries closing their borders since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Netherlands has emerged as one of the new frontrunners as a destination for emigrating South African to further their careers. Not only is the Netherlands attractive in terms of their work / life balance, but the Dutch government offers enticing tax…