With the effective date of 01 March 2020 for the ‘expat tax’ drawing closer, South African expatriates, their employers and tax advisors have little time to come to grips with the impact that this tax policy and law change will have on them personally. This amendment will bring considerable change to the South African expatriate landscape and the complexities thereof demand a technically holistic and specialist approach, as well as a deeper understanding of practical issues surrounding internationally mobile employees.

“There is a common misconception that once a South African resident leaves the country to take up employment abroad, their South African tax obligations fall away automatically”, says Jerry Botha, Managing Partner of Tax Consulting South Africa. “The reality is, South Africa operates on a residency-based taxation system. This means that no matter where a South African resident lives and works, they are required to disclose their earnings to SARS. A tax exemption is something which must be claimed specifically by the taxpayer and correctly assessed by SARS.”

The newly released title, Expatriate Tax: South African Citizens Working Abroad and Foreigners in South Africa, unpacks the resultant tax consequences of individuals or international employees with interests in multiple jurisdictions.

The first of its kind in South Africa, the title addresses the complexities of expatriate taxes from a South African perspective in a manner that speaks to the tax specialist, as well as to the concerned taxpayer.   Expatriate Tax provides a comprehensive, technical and practical guide to South African tax and deals with aspects of international mobility, including work visa strategies, citizenship, retirement funding, international remuneration, international share schemes, and exchange control considerations.

Judge DM Davis, perhaps the most esteemed tax expert on the Bench and now Judge President of the Competition Appeal Court, says “The increasing global economy has resulted in many employees and entrepreneurs crossing national boundaries to exploit their talents. Consequently, whether it is by way of entry into South Africa or migration to another country a host of complex tax implications are triggered each of which requires careful analysis. This book seeks to address all of these questions … It is a most welcome addition to our body of tax literature and will doubtless be essential reading for anyone advising his or her client with regard to the tax consequences of migration.”

Expatriate Tax: South African Citizens Working Abroad and Foreigners in South Africa will be invaluable to international taxpayers, expatriates, specialist tax advisors, tax managers, financial planners, SARS and National Treasury officials, tax lecturers and scholars of tax, human resource professionals, finance executives and managers, remuneration and reward specialists, payroll experts, attorneys, chartered accountants and tax practitioners.

Expatriate Tax, South African Citizens Working Abroad and Foreigners in South Africa will be available from mid-October 2019 in Print format (9780639005195) for R747.50 including VAT and excluding delivery, eBook format (9780639005201) for R747.50 including VAT. To purchase, click here to visit the LexisNexis online bookstore.