Knowledge Hub · South African expats
South African expats in Dubai.
Leaving South Africa used to run through the Reserve Bank. Since 1 March 2021 it runs through SARS. Whether you still count as South African tax resident shapes how your Dubai salary is taxed, what happens to your retirement annuity and what leaving formally costs. The guides are being written. Paul can talk it through now.
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Financial emigration
The Reserve Bank’s formal emigration route closed on 1 March 2021. Leaving now means ceasing tax residence with SARS. On the day you do, SARS treats most of your worldwide assets as sold at market value. South African property is an exception.
The guide will answer
- Have I already stopped being South African tax resident?
- What does the exit charge catch, and what does it leave out?
- How do I move money out once I have left?
Tax & SARS
South Africa taxes its tax residents on their worldwide income. If you still count as resident while you work in Dubai, only the first R1.25 million of your salary each year can be exempt, and only if you meet the days-outside test.
The guide will answer
- Am I still tax resident in South Africa?
- How does the South Africa–UAE tax treaty decide it?
- What do I need to tell SARS, and when?
Retirement annuities
Since March 2021, cashing in a retirement annuity in full because you have left South Africa needs three unbroken years of tax non-residence first.
The guide will answer
- Should I keep contributing while I'm away?
- When do the three years start counting?
- What can I take out before then?
Paul can talk it through now.
These guides are being written. Your questions don’t have to wait for them. Paul advises South African clients in Dubai today: bring your SARS letters and fund statements to a free 30-minute call.
For every nationality.
While the South African guides are written, these already apply to you: the money your family could reach in 48 hours, the emergency file, cross-border tax basics, your retirement number and a 12-month plan for moving home.
Before it breaks
Find your weak link.
Take the free 5-minute Vulnerability Test, or start a conversation with Paul about your own plan.