{"id":229016,"date":"2026-05-28T21:07:44","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T19:07:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/?p=229016"},"modified":"2026-05-28T21:09:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T19:09:34","slug":"taxation-for-south-africans-abroad-when-do-you-still-have-to-declare-taxes-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/taxation-for-south-africans-abroad-when-do-you-still-have-to-declare-taxes-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Taxation for South Africans abroad: When do you still have to declare taxes in South Africa?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Sue-Ann de Wet<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For many South Africans living and working abroad, tax remains one of the most confusing administrative issues. There is often a misconception that you are automatically \u201cdone with SARS\u201d one you emigrate or permanently reside in another country. It really depends on several factors \u2013 and many people only realise later that they still have obligations in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most important thing to remember is that emigration not necessarily ends your tax obligations. Even if you have lived abroad for years you may in certain cases still have to declare tax in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The big question: Are you still a tax resident?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SARS mainly looks at two tests to determine whether you are still a tax resident of South Africa:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. The \u201cordinary residence\u201d test<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is about where your permanent home and interests really are. SARS looks at things like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Where does your family live?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where are you fixed assets?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where do you return to regularly? \u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where are your bank accounts, medical aid, pension or business interests?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you still have strong ties to South Africa?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even if you work abroad, SARS can still argue that South Africa remains your \u201cordinary place of residence\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. The physical presence test<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are no longer considered an \u201cordinary resident\u201d, SARS looks at how many days you physically spend in South Africa. If over certain periods you have been in South Africa for too long, you may still be considered a tax resident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Do you still need to file a tax return?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many people think: \u201cI already pay taxes in my new country, so I do not have to do anything else in South Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is not always true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You may still have to file a tax return with SARS annually if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>you are still classified as a tax resident;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>you receive income from South Africa;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>you rent out property in South Africa;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>you receive interest or dividends;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>you still have a pension, annuity or trust income;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>you still have an active tax number; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>SARS requires you to declare.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even if no tax is due, you may still be required to declare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What about the foreign income exemption?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the biggest areas of confusion is the so-called \u201cR1.25 million exemption\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In certain cases, South Africans working abroad can exempt a portion of their foreign income from South Arican tax \u2013 provided they meet specific requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most well-known requirement is the number of days you must be outside South Africa:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>more than 183 full days over a 12-month period; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>at least 60 of those days continuously.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More important:<br>This does not mean you do not have to declare tax. It also does not mean you are automatically tax-free in South Africa. It is simply a possible exemption on certain income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Financial emigration no longer exists as it used to<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many people use the term financial emigration, but the process has changed over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, SARS focuses more on whether you are a tax resident or not. It is therefore possible to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>permanently reside abroad;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>pay tax in another country; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>still have certain obligations towards SARS.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The termination of tax residency is a formal process and usually requires supporting documentation and motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Double taxation agreements also play a role<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South Africa has double taxation agreements with many countries to prevent people from being taxed twice on the same income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But these agreements are not always simple. It depends on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the type of income;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the country where you live;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>your tax status; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>how the specific agreement is structured.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is why two South Africans in the same country can sometimes have completely different tax outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Why do people get into trouble later?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many South Africans abroad ignore SARS simply because: &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>they assume they are \u201cdone\u201d with South Africa;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>they have never formally adjusted their tax status;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>they are uncertain about the rules; or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>they have not received any communication from SARS for years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Problems often only arise when people:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>want to transfer their South African money;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>want to withdraw a pension;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>want to buy property;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>return to South Africa; or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>when SARS requests historical returns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The best approach? Get professional advice early on &nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tax for South Africans abroad is rarely a \u201cone-size-fits-all\u201d situation. Your residency status, country of residence, type of income and ties to South Africa all play a role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It helps to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>keep a record of your travels; \u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>regularly review your tax status;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>not ignore SARS correspondence; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>speak early with a tax professional who has experience with international tax and South African emigration matters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For many South African abroad, tax is not necessarily the most exciting topic, but it is one of the most important to manage correctly. The greatest risk often lies not in malice, but in assumptions and misunderstandings. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Living abroad does not automatically mean that your tax obligations in South Africa disappear. Therefore, it is important to clearly understand your position, rather than discovering unpleasant surprises years later.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Sue-Ann de Wet For many South Africans living and working abroad, tax remains one of the most confusing administrative&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":229014,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"For many South Africans living and working abroad, tax remains one of the most confusing administrative issues. 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It really depends on several factors \u2013 and many people only realise later that they still have obligations in South Africa.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[801],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-229016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-financial-and-migration-news"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":801,"label":"FINANCIAL AND MIGRATION NEWS"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Belasting-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Sue-Ann de Wet","author_link":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/author\/sue-ann-de-wet\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":801,"name":"FINANCIAL AND MIGRATION NEWS","slug":"financial-and-migration-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":801,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":800,"count":203,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0","cat_ID":801,"category_count":203,"category_description":"","cat_name":"FINANCIAL AND MIGRATION NEWS","category_nicename":"financial-and-migration-news","category_parent":800}],"tag_info":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Belasting-scaled.jpg","fimg_url":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Belasting-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229016"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229016\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":229017,"href":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229016\/revisions\/229017"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/229014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}