News

Marriage May No Longer Be Enough: Treasury Draws a Residency Line Through the Spousal Donations Tax Exemption The 2026 Draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill makes the recipient spouse’s tax residence the decisive question — and proposes to do so from 25 February 2026. READ MORE CONTACT US Delano AbdollLegal Manager: Cross-Border Taxation Mbalenhle MahlabaTeam Lead: […]

South Africans Abroad: Why a SARS Health Check Should be Your First Step This Filing Season Your SARS eFiling profile tells a story — but many South Africans living abroad do not know what that story says or whether it contains unexpected surprises. With the 2026 Tax Filing Season now underway, expatriates cannot afford to

Some Tax Practitioners Deliberately Confuse South Africans About Emigration; but SARS Makes Compliance Easy South Africans who work or reside abroad are increasingly encountering confusing terminology and mixed signals on their obligations with the South African Revenue Service (SARS). This is not a SARS-created problem. There is an influx of opportunistic advisors claiming expertise in

Overseas but Not Off the Hook: SARS Filing Rules Explained With the 2026 tax filing season underway, South African expatriates should take note that they may still be required to submit annual tax returns to the South African Revenue Service (SARS), even after years of living and working abroad. READ MORE CONTACT US John-Paul FraserTeam Lead: Cross-Border Taxation

Why Expatriates’ First Tax Residence Certificate May Not Protect Their Earliest Period of Foreign Employment Many South Africans working abroad who rely on a Tax Residence Certificate (“TRC”) to support a Double Tax Agreement (“DTA”) non-residency position are discovering that the certificate does not always cover the earliest period of foreign employment for which tax

SARS Reveals the 17 Questions It Is Asking South Africans Claiming Non-Residency Where does your spouse live? Where are your personal belongings? Have you applied for permanent residence or citizenship abroad? These are just some of the 17 probing questions the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”) is now asking South Africans living and working abroad

SARS’ New Question for South African Expats: Can You Prove Your Tax Residency Timeline? For years, South Africans relocating abroad have focused on a relatively straightforward question:Have I ceased to be a South African tax resident?That question has not changed. What appears to be evolving is how the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”) tests the

SARS Signals a New Era of Scrutiny for Double Tax Agreement Non-Residents The South African Revenue Service (SARS) appears to be taking an increasingly sophisticated and technically rigorous approach to applications by taxpayers who rely on Double Tax Agreements (DTAs) to cease South African tax residency before approving their change in tax residency status to

Ceasing South African Tax Residency During Middle East Uncertainty: Why Expats Must Carefully Consider the Basis Relied Upon with SARS For many South African expatriates living and working in the Middle East, ongoing geopolitical instability has created understandable uncertainty regarding long-term plans, family arrangements, and future residency intentions. READ MORE CONTACT US Delano AbdollLegal Manager

South African Expats’ Early Policy Withdrawal: What You Need to Know For many South African expatriates, accessing retirement annuities, preservation funds, or similar long-term policies before retirement age is a key financial objective often driven by emigration, global mobility, or the need to consolidate wealth offshore. READ MORE CONTACT US Lovemore NdlovuHead of SARB Engagement