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 […]
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.
Whether working abroad or still hunting for jobs overseas, the possibility of a financial emigration always hits centre stage at some point.
There is an alarming number of South African expatriates relying on the ‘tick-box’ approach to cease their tax residency. Alternatively, others assume that they are no longer tax residents because they reside outside South Africa or do not maintain assets in South Africa. These misconceptions flow from the shady advice that expatriates continue to receive.
In search for opportunities abroad, many South Africans have taken to the seas. It might not be the same as working in a new country, but it offers a change of scenery while earning a foreign income.
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.
As the financial emigration process moves into a new era, Tax Consulting is still fighting for all taxpayers under the old financial emigration regime to ensure they are not discarded. As for the current taxpayers we are in the process of trying to make the transition as smooth as possible.
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.
The Standing Committee on Finance held public parliamentary hearings on 31 August 2021 regarding the proposals contained in the Draft 2021 Tax Bills. One of the most hotly debated items on the agenda was the proposal to tax retirement interests where South Africans cease their tax residency. During the public hearings it became evident that […]
In addressing the National Tax Indaba on Monday 20 September, Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”), Edward Kieswetter, noted that their position as an organization is to focus on collecting the “lowest hanging fruit”, which statement may be interpreted in numerous ways, including taxpayers asking themselves if SARS is simply opting for the […]