National Treasury opens door for more discussions on expat tax

National Treasury has invited key stakeholders to a workshop early next month to address continued concerns around the amended foreign income tax exemption. The change is set to become effective on 1 March 2020.

Tax Residency and Financial Emigration: Everyone is an Expert

Financial Emigration Ceases Tax and Exchange Control Residency The process of “Financial Emigration” terminates your tax residency status with the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”) as well as your status as exchange control resident with the South African Reserve Bank (“SARB”). The SARS process includes a verification or “audit” procedure, as financial emigration is not […]

Offshore Tax Exemption to be Reviewed

The controversial tax on income South Africans earn abroad and the R1 million exemption on it will be revisited during a special workshop between National Treasury and industry players in coming weeks.

Countdown to the Commencement of the Amended South African Expatriate Tax Law

The announcement by National Treasury and SARS in 2017 that the tax exemption on South African expatriates is set to change, has resulted in the lifestyle of many South Africans, who are employed by companies abroad, to rapidly change from a South African tax liability point of view.

Tax Compliance For Expats

Financial Emigration or Double Taxation Agreement? Which suits your situation better? When it come to choosing Financial Emigration (FE) or a Double Taxation Agreement (DTA), expatriates must understand that there can never be a one-size-fits all approach.

Panic, Uncertainty about Expatriate Tax Law

Tax practitioners say their clients remain panicked and concerned about the ‘expat tax’, despite National Treasury adopting a relatively softer stance. “I see a lot of panic coming our way,” Bari Duvenhage, personal tax specialist at Regan van Rooy, told delegates at the Tax Indaba.

South Africans Abroad: Know your Tax Affairs

Incorrect information and advice from tax practitioners, or in some cases South African Revenue Service (SARS) officials, has resulted in the misunderstanding of complex South African expatriate tax legislation, which has landed many South African in deep water with SARS.

South Africans are emigrating abroad in record high numbers

According to experts operating within the field of emigration, South Africans are expected to break emigration records in 2018. Speaking to 702 Talk Radio, the manager at Financial Emigration, Jonty Leon, discussed the sharp spike in the number of South Africans looking to relocate abroad.

What is CRS and why should I care?

What is CRS and why should I care? Jurisdictions that have agreed to and signed the recently implemented “Common Reporting Standard” (CRS) are obligated to obtain pertinent financial information from their financial institutions and automatically exchange this with other jurisdictions on an annual basis. Put simply, if you are living in a jurisdiction that has […]

SARS Update – “Ordinarily Resident” – South Africans abroad, do you pass the test?

The term “ordinarily resident” is not defined in South African legislation but has been interpreted by South African courts for almost a century when dealing with tax law matters. The South African Revenue Service (“SARS”), in 2002, released an Interpretation Note (“IN3”) that assisted taxpayers in understanding the term, and which considered case law as […]