Expat tax · Foreign income
Expat and foreign income tax for South Africans and newcomers
Whether you are a South African working abroad or a foreign national building a life in South Africa, your tax residency decides what SARS can tax. We work it out, file correctly and line it up with your immigration plans.
- Registered tax practitioner, Cape Town CBD
- CFP® · Registered Tax Practitioner (SARS) · CIBA member (SAIBA6662)
- In practice since 2011
In short: South African tax residents are taxed on their worldwide income; non-residents are taxed only on income from South African sources. Residency is tested under the "ordinarily resident" test or the physical presence test. Dynamic Group SA reviews your facts, tells you which side of the line you are on, files your return with foreign income and credits, and manages the tax side of ceasing residency or arriving in South Africa.
For South Africans abroad
- Tax residency review: still resident, or has residency ended?
- Foreign employment income exemption for qualifying time abroad
- Foreign tax credits so the same income isn't taxed twice
- Ceasing tax residency: the declaration to SARS and the capital gains tax that can apply on exit
- South African rental, investments and retirement funds while you live abroad
- Tax compliance status for moving funds offshore
For foreign nationals in South Africa
- When you become a South African tax resident, and what changes then
- Registering with SARS and filing your first ITR12
- Income and assets in your home country
- Business and work visa applicants who need SARS compliance and financial statements
- Tax clearance for visa, permanent residence and business purposes
Because Dynamic Group SA also runs an immigration advisory practice, your tax position and your visa or residence application are planned together.
Fixed fees
Ways to work with us
Tax residency review
Fixed fee, quoted on a call
- Your travel days, home, family and economic ties reviewed
- Ordinarily resident and physical presence tests applied
- Effect of any double tax agreement
- Written conclusion and next steps
Expat tax return
Fixed fee, quoted on a call
- ITR12 with foreign employment and investment income
- Foreign employment exemption where you qualify
- Foreign tax credits and currency translation
- SARS verification support
Expat tax questions
Am I still a South African tax resident if I live overseas?
Possibly. You remain resident while you are "ordinarily resident", meaning South Africa is still the place you would naturally return to. If that test doesn't apply, the physical presence test counts your days in South Africa over the current and previous five tax years. Residency can also be overridden by a double tax agreement. We apply these tests to your actual facts.
Is my salary earned abroad taxed in South Africa?
If you are a tax resident, foreign employment income is taxable, but a portion can be exempt if you spend enough qualifying days outside South Africa in a 12-month period. Foreign tax you paid can usually be claimed as a credit. Both depend on precise day counts and documents, which we check.
What happens for tax when I stop being a resident?
When residency ends, you are treated as having disposed of most of your worldwide assets at market value the day before, which can trigger capital gains tax. South African property is an exception. You also need to notify SARS. Planning the timing can make a real difference.
I'm a foreign national working in South Africa. When do I start paying tax here?
You pay tax on South African-source income from day one. Whether your worldwide income is taxed depends on when you become resident under the tests above. We register you, file your returns and plan for income and assets you still hold at home.
Can you help with my visa application as well?
Yes. Dynamic Group SA advises on visas and residence applications and prepares the tax and financial documents those applications need, so both are handled by one team.
Who you work with
Tony Okonkwo, founder
CFP® · Registered Tax Practitioner (SARS) · CIBA member (SAIBA6662)
Tony founded Dynamic Group SA in Cape Town in 2011. Every return and every SARS submission is reviewed by a registered tax practitioner before it is filed. Because the practice also covers financial planning, trusts, estates and immigration, your tax position is looked at together with the rest of your affairs, not in isolation.
Related services
- Personal tax returnsYour ITR12 prepared, reviewed and filed, with SARS verifications handled.
- Provisional tax (IRP6)Both IRP6 returns calculated and filed on time, so penalties and interest don't build up.
- SARS disputes & objectionsObjections, appeals, s164 suspension of payment and SARS debt compromises.
- Trusts & estate planningTrust setup and administration, wills, and estate plans that account for tax.
- Small business accountingBookkeeping, financial statements, company tax, VAT, payroll and CIPC in one monthly fee.
Talk to a registered tax practitioner
Book a free 20-minute call. We look at your situation, tell you what you need and give you a fixed fee before any work starts.