One of the most notable adjustments during the global lockdowns, has been the introduction of remote working policies for staff. While the world was in a pandemic-induced cocoon, companies and employers were forced to shift their operations online.
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has recently started issuing letters to taxpayers working abroad, confirming their change in status to non-residents for tax purposes. This is a somewhat peculiar development for expatriates who have previously ceased their tax residency, as they are now requiring an additional step to objectively support their non-residency as issued […]
Following deliberation with members of the public, National Treasury recently released its official response to the Parliamentary submissions on their proposed Draft Tax Bills. Among other things, Treasury noted that they would withdraw a controversial amendment that would have been problematic for South African expatriates contemplating emigration.
The current tax filing season is almost at an end. Many taxpayers have submitted their annual return to the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”), while others are scampering to submit their returns before the 23 November 2021 deadline.
Expatriates and those with plans to emigrate will be relieved to learn that the proposal to impose an exit tax on retirement interests will be withdrawn.
National Treasury’s latest published Draft Tax Bills incorporated the contentious additional “exit tax”, which proposed to tax retirement fund interests of individuals when they cease South African tax residency.
The past two years have been a journey into unchartered waters for 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 tax filing period draws to a close on 23 November.
Many South Africans work and live in Zambia because it is a favourable mining, construction, and agricultural African destination. Some of these South Africans have either temporarily or permanently made the move to Zambia without following the correct emigration procedures to mitigate their tax exposure in South Africa.
Post-Covid economic resurgence saw an increase in international work opportunities. With skills in hand, many South African professionals have become sought-after in other countries. As a result, their finances and subsequent taxation have come under scrutiny. However, along with the awareness of tax complications, another threat has emerged.
The lockdown in South Africa followed shortly after the introduction of the expat tax limitation in section 10(1)(o)(ii) of the Income Tax Act.