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Financial Emigration2022-11-08 11:30:582026-02-06 11:28:01Performing A Tax Diagnostic Does Not Trigger A Reaction From SARS
SARS’ Smoking Gun? Estimated Tax Assessments through Lifestyle Audits
Lifestyle audits were initiated by SARS back in 2007, however actual action earnestly began only a few years ago with the arrival of SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter. These audits are conducted when SARS suspects that the taxpayer is not declaring all his or her income and thus is underpaying the factual tax due. The risk...

SARS Ups The Ante On Expatriates Trying To Cease Their Tax Residency
SARS has started to make good on its promise in the 2020 Budget Review by enhancing their verification and audit processes to accurately review the compliance and tax statuses of South Africans abroad. Nikolas Skafidas Tax Diagnostic Specialist Martin Bezuidenhout Expatriate Tax Attorney The first indication of this was SARS’ issuance of letters confirming taxpayers’...

Alarm Over Growing Brain Drain From SA
As emigration by skilled South Africans rises, experts in the auditing and insurance sectors have warned this will weaken the country's skills base and reduce the pool of wealthy individuals, whose spending on goods and services support many businesses. Thomas Lobban Legal Manage: Cross-Border Taxation Martin Bezuidenhout Expatriate Tax Attorney As emigration by skilled South...
SARS Tracking Flights As Part Of Stricter Non-Resident Verification Process
Expatriate taxpayers awaiting approval of their non-resident status may be surprised to discover that SARS can track their flights into and out of South Africa. Nikolas Skafidas Tax Diagnostic Specialist This is evident from the attached Request for Additional Supporting Documents letter, received by one of Tax Consulting SA's clients. Here, SARS queries the reasons...

Non-Resident Tax Status Reversed? Read This Before Reapplying To SARS
SARS introduced its Tax Non-Resident Confirmation letter in 2021, and it now appears that emigrated taxpayers, whose residency status was previously disclosed to SARS as non-resident, are now finding their status has been reset to ‘resident’. This may possibly have been due to a bug, or one arm not speaking to the other, when SARS...

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...
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In the News
The Frozen Expat Exemption: R1,25 million That Has Not Moved14/03/2026 - 18:10
SARS Moves to Limit Donation Tax Loophole for Departing High-Net-Worth Individuals03/03/2026 - 08:25
Why South Africa’s Concentrated Tax Base Matters to SARS and Policymakers23/02/2026 - 13:07
New Banking and Tax Rules Impact Receiving and Remittance of Rental Income for Foreign Property Owners in South Africa13/02/2026 - 11:53
Where Do You Stand with SARS? Why a Tax Diagnostic Review is the Best New Year’s Resolution for 202620/01/2026 - 12:03
