Tag: Tax Consulting SA

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has made evident its no-nonsense stance in media statements over the preceding months and shown that actions speak louder than words in light of the recent judgements of the Pretoria High Court on the state capture loot, and Zuma’s tax records.

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plans to emigrate will be relieved to learn that the proposal to impose an exit tax on retirement interests will be withdrawn. In presenting their Draft Response Document on the 2021 Draft Tax Bills, National Treasury and SARS confirmed that the proposal will not be included in final Taxation Laws Amendment Bill that will be tabled in tomorrow’s Medium Term Budget.

In recent weeks we have seen first-hand the powers of SARS in holding taxpayers criminally liable where their tax affairs are not in order.

Whether working abroad or still hunting for jobs overseas, the possibility of a financial emigration always hits centre stage at some point. Tax is inherently complex, but once you start crossing borders it becomes an ever-changing calculation that can easily render void the benefits of earning a foreign income, which was possibly the reason why you chose to work abroad in the first place.

South Africa’s exchange control regime has relaxed considerably over the last few years, but the most recent amendments have created widespread confusion around the definition of non-residency for exchange control purposes. In particular: When is a person non-resident for exchange control in South Africa? How do they cease to be resident for exchange control purposes? And what does all this mean?

The most contentious proposal introduced by the 2021 Draft Tax Bills is arguably the tax on retirement interests when a person ceases tax residency. The proposed tax has widely been christened as a further 'exit tax' imposed on South Africans leaving the country. However, based on responses by the Minister of Finance to a written parliamentary Q&A, some have questioned whether the proposal can rightfully be classified as an 'exit tax'.

It has long been on the cards that the South African Revenue Service (SARS) should upgrade their systems and modernise the fact of tax in South Africa. This would enable the easier facilitation of compliance for the country’s growing tax base.

On 10 September 2021, Mauritius officially reopened its borders to South Africans, ending the 18-month travel ban imposed on SA visitors. The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) openly welcomed South African tourists back to the Mauritius shores, which is a token of the relationship between the two countries.

In light of recent developments on the sides of both the South Africa Revenue Service (SARS) and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), the regulatory burden for the cross-border flow of funds, resulting from transactions concluded between South African residents and foreign parties, has been significantly eased.

There are many reasons why South African tax residents undertake to cease tax residency through the financial emigration process. One of the reasons is that a successful financial emigration provides one with the rare opportunity to fully encash your policy funds.