EVENT | HOME AND AWAY: EXPATRIATE TAX LAW UNPACKED IN LONDON

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The South African Chamber of Commerce (“SACC”) in the United Kingdom is pleased to announce that it has secured a presentation by Jerry Botha and Marisa Jacobs, from Tax Consulting South Africa (“TCSA”)  and Xpatweb respectively, on the new expatriate tax law change promulgated under South African law effective 01 March 2020. This is hot off the heels of the sold-out events held in Mauritius and South Africa, which were hosted by SACC in Mauritius and the British Chamber of Business in Southern Africa respectively, on which excellent attendance feedback was received.

Jerry’s presentation will share deep and practical insights with attendees, dealing with some hot topics such as whether to retain South African citizenship, permanent residency and the burning question of financial emigration, with SARS recently providing more clarity thereon. It will also outline planning and strategy if you intend to return to and/or retire in South Africa. The presentation format will be informal and due to complexity and importance of these matters, it will be approximately 45 minutes. Jerry will be available afterwards for an extensive Q&A session for those who need more detailed information.

He will be joined by Marisa Jacobs, who heads-up the largest independent work permit practice in South Africa, dealing with matters ranging from the largest critical skills survey in South Africa, passport renewal, retention of South Africa citizenship etc.

KEY AREAS OF THE PRESENTATION:

  • The submission to Parliament in 2017 on behalf of South Africa expatriates, the amended tax law and planning;
  • Strategies for future dealing with South African assets, investments, family remaining and returning and / or retiring to South Africa;
  • South Africa / United Kingdom Double Tax Agreement – planning and compliance;
  • Inheritances from family in South Africa, donations’ tax, forex and exchange control planning for inward and outward remittances;
  • Strategies for doing business into South Africa, including caveats on South African rental properties and income;
  • LexisNexis guide on Expatriate Tax; and
  • Dealing with concerns surrounding South African citizenship, residency and retaining of your South African passport.

For more information or questions, please contact Dr Dylan Price on dylan@taxconsulting.co.za.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Jerry Botha
Managing Partner at Tax Consulting South Africa

Jerry Botha was the tax technical advisor to the Expatriate Petition Group, who argued against the complete repeal of the expatriate tax exemption in Parliament, resulting in a partial win with the R1m threshold introduction in 2017. TCSA is the largest fully independent tax practice in South Africa with over 90 talented professionals, with their tax technical expertise and ongoing relationship with the expatriate community resulting in the firm being approach by LexisNexis to author the first ever publication on Expatriate Tax.

The publication titled, Expatriate Tax: South Africans Citizens Working Abroad and Foreigners in South Africa, was released in October 2019 and is described by Judge DM Davis, Chairman of the Davis Tax Committee, as “a carefully considered book … dealing with the various tax implications of immigration/emigration … and will doubtless be essential reading…”.

Their professionals deal with all areas of South African taxation including rebutting overly conservative external audit findings, SARS rulings, SARS disputes and litigation, SARS refunds and holding SARS to account for interest on delayed refunds, tax due diligences, Voluntary Disclosure Programme applications, fixing heritage tax matters left in disarray by previous tax advisors, as well as the normal consulting and compliance services on corporate taxes, executive and employee taxes, high net worth families and businesses, international expansion or foreign groups into South Africa, VAT, customs and excise, and tax administrative law.

Top 10 visa-free travel destination for South Africans

NEWS | VISA FREE COUNTRIES FOR SOUTH AFRICANS

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TOP 10 VISA-FREE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS FOR SOUTH AFRICANS

South African passport holders can travel visa-free to over 100 countries, ranked the 53rd most powerful passport.

According to Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, it is time for the UK to reconsider allowing visa-free access to South African passport holders again. “We have improved, and we think the UK should reconsider,” he says.

Several changes have been put in place by The Department of Home Affairs to improve our visa regime. Some successes on the back hereof include waiving visas for Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and New Zealand. Simplified visa requirements for countries such as China and India, as well as improved passport security.

Here is a list of 10 visa-free destinations that you can travel to with your South African passport, saving you money and time.

Indonesia

1. Indonesia:

Volcanoes, Beaches, Temples and Food.

Hong Kong

2. Hong Kong:

Vibrant Atmosphere and Endless Skyscrapers

Argentina

3. Argentina:

Art, Culture and Tango

Barbados

4. Barbados:

Adventurous Activities

Peru

5. Peru:

Ancient Ruins

Ireland

6. Ireland:

Festivals and some of the Oldest Pubs

Russian Federation

7. Russian Frederation:

Rich History Embedded in Architecture

Israel

8. Israel:

Diverse Landscape and Culture

Chile

9. Chile:

Authentic Sense and Wine

Mauritius

10. Mauritius:

Tropical Climate with Warm Weather Year-round

If these aren’t compelling enough, as of January 2019, South Africans can travel to over a hundred countries without applying for a visa before your trip, browse the vast options and take advantage. Click here to view the full list of countries
LexisNexis Event Launch

EVENT | BRITISH CHAMBER LEXISNEXIS – EXPATRIATE TAX BOOK LAUNCH

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The event will also include the launch of one of South Africa’s most important pieces of literature, the newly released LexisNexis title, Expatriate Tax: South African Citizens Working Abroad and Foreigners in South Africa, which is authored by Tax Consulting South Africa.

The guide was described by Judge DM Davis, perhaps the most esteemed tax expert on the Bench today, as “a carefully considered book which not only deals with all the various tax implications of immigration/emigration but even has space for a useful chapter on work permits.”

Leon Ayo, President of the British Chamber in South Africa, will be the event MC, while Jerry’s presentation will cover:

  1. The submission to parliament on behalf of South Africa expatriates
  2. The amended expatriate tax law
  3. Future planning opportunities for South African expatriates
  4. Practical examples of how to deal with SARS and manage tax risk
  5. Expatriate tax in South Africa
  6. Dealing with concerns surrounding South African citizenship

This is a must attend for all international taxpayers, expatriates, HR and financial managers, specialist tax advisors, financial managers, tax lecturers or scholars of tax.

Tax Consulting is the largest fully independent tax practice in South Africa with over 90 talented professionals, mostly admitted attorneys, chartered accountants, tax specialists and international mobility professionals. The work reflects their approach to taxation matters, which is holistic, technical and, above all, result-driven. They have an appetite for challenging and complex matters, where they seek to deliver the most tax efficient outcome to their clients, whilst being fully compliant.

The practice’s market position is reflective of a ‘modern tax suite’, where they often work for law firms, accountants or providers who require clinical execution. Their professionals deal with all areas of South African taxation including rebutting overly conservative external audit findings, SARS rulings, SARS disputes and litigation, SARS refunds and holding SARS to account for interest on delayed refunds, tax due diligences, Voluntary Disclosure Programme applications, fixing heritage tax matters left in disarray by previous tax advisors, as well as a the normal consulting and compliance services on corporate taxes, executive and employee taxes, high net worth families and businesses, international expansion or foreign groups into South Africa, VAT, customs and excise, as well as tax administrative law.

EXTENSIVE GUIDE ON SOUTH AFRICAN WORK PERMITS IN LATEST LEXISNEXIS EXPATRIATE TAX PUBLICATION

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 both the tax specialist and 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.

 

 

JOHANNESBURG (FULLY BOOKED)
WHEN: Wednesday, 30 October 2019 – 17:00 – 20:00
WHERE: Inanda Club, The Club House, Inanda, Sandton

CAPE TOWN (LIMITED TICKETS)
WHEN: Thursday, 7 November 2019 – 08:00 – 11:00
WHERE: The Brasserie at the Stack, Cape Town

 

Home-Affairs-Start-a-New-Chapter-With-Improved-Visa-Process

NEWS | HOME AFFAIRS STARTS A NEW CHAPTER WITH IMPROVED VISA PROCESS

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However, according to Moeketsi Seboko, Immigration Manager at Xpatweb, those accounts are overdramatized and outdated. “In the wake of the Department’s 2017 White Paper on International Migration for South Africa, we have been seeing good progress towards a simpler yet secure visa application and fulfilment system,” he says.

Improvements

Already, a number of notable improvements to South Africa’s visa regime are being launched, as announced recently by Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.

These are aimed at making the country more accessible to visitors, investors, and people with critical skills that are vital to building the economy.

For critical skills, the Department has lowered visa turnaround times to under four weeks in 88.5% of applications. Business and general work visas are now issued within eight weeks for 98% of applications.

Visas for visitors from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and New Zealand were waived last month.

Now, visa requirements for countries such as China and India, which are major sources for tourism to South Africa, have also been simplified.

Further, Home Affairs has located visa services at various investment agencies around the country to provide easier access to visa applicants and holders.

Best of all, the Department will embark on a pilot project for its new e-visa system in November, which allows applications to be made online, instead of requestors having to visit a South African mission in their home country.

Security the first priority

Although the nation has an open border policy, protecting the safety and security of South African citizens comes first, and this is the core concern when developing entrance requirements or systems.

The Immigration Act is clear in its preamble that visas and permanent residence permits (PRP) are issued as expeditiously as possible.

This is done on the basis of a simplified procedure and objective, predictable and reasonable requirements and criteria, and without consuming excessive administrative capacity. Security considerations must be fully satisfied and the state must retain control over immigration of visitors to the Republic.

Prescribed requirements and due process need to be adhered to, and foreigner nationals have a duty to improve and benefit the economy of the country and to not disadvantage South Africans seeking employment.

“Globally, there is no immigration policy that gives investors an automatic right to a visa,” says Seboko.

Assisting Home Affairs

It is the responsibility of every immigration practitioner to ensure their services are geared towards supporting government policies, especially the promotion of economic growth.

They should assist corporates and executives to bring foreign nationals with needed expertise into the country, provided they align with the critical skills list and conform to various work visa requirements.

Xpatweb is currently running their 2019 Critical Skills Survey among its clients and other corporates, the results of which will be shared with the Department for consideration, and which has been widely quoted and used by other Government departments for informed decision making on market perception.

In conclusion, Seboko says: “It has been our experience that the Department is receptive to engagements and inputs from role players in the industry. Like any other government department, red tape and bottlenecks are frustrating but with patience and persistence, positive outcomes are always achieved.”

Training Artisans and Process Controllers

NEWS | TRAINING ARTISANS AND PROCESS CONTROLLERS

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One of the biggest issues plaguing the country, apart from the unemployment rate, is the lack of skilled employees in the workforce. Employed citizens are sometimes placed in positions without having the skills to perform the job adequately. A call for training has been made and Artisans in Motion (AiM) is an institution that is ready to listen.