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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...
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Ceasing SA Tax Residency In Countries That Don’t Offer Permanent Residence

To be released from their local tax obligations in relation to foreign income, emigrating South Africans must be able to prove to SARS that they have permanently left the country. But how can they do so if they are moving to a country, like the UAE in general, where long-term residence (for immigration purposes) is...
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Leaving South Africa – Planning Your Fiscal ‘Exit Strategy’

Tax Consulting South Africa, South Africa’s largest independent tax practice, returned this week from the Netherlands after hosting tax and immigration planning sessions with recently emigrated South Africans. One thing that became clear during the presentations, is that despite the soft-landing opportunities provided in the Netherlands and other locations, there has not been enough focus...
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The Devil Is In The Details: Tax Treaty Residency And The Spectre Of Potential Audit

Jonathan Oppenheimer, the South African billionaire businessman and son of former De Beers chairman Nicky Oppenheimer, has recently seen a victory in the UK tax court in relation to his tax residency status under the South Africa / UK double tax agreement (DTA). Thomas Lo bban Legal Manager Cross-Border Taxation The UK tax authority, HMRC,...
A person making a 'stop' gesture refuses to accept an official document, likely related to a tax non-residency application.

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...
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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...
Flags of South Africa and the Isle of Man flying together under a blue sky.

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...
Person in white shirt holding a blue binder with white documents, possibly related to tax or emigration compliance.

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...
Hand holding house keys over a miniature house model, document, and pen, symbolizing a real estate transaction.

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...
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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...