🧾 SARS and tax when you leave South Africa

Tax is the part of emigrating that catches people out most often. South Africa taxes its residents on their worldwide income, so whether SARS still sees you as resident matters a lot.

Tax residency, not "financial emigration"

The old "financial emigration" process through the Reserve Bank was replaced in March 2021. Now the question is simply whether you are still a South African tax resident. That depends on whether you are "ordinarily resident" (where your real home is), whether you meet the physical presence test, and any double tax agreement with your new country.

When you stop being resident, tell SARS through eFiling and keep evidence of your move: your employment contract, lease, and visa.

Exit tax

On the day you stop being resident, SARS treats you as having sold most of your worldwide assets at market value (a "deemed disposal"), and capital gains tax may apply. South African fixed property is excluded, because it stays taxable here anyway. Plan for this with a tax practitioner.

Staying resident while working abroad

If you stay resident, part of your foreign salary can be exempt (R1.25 million a year at the time of writing). To qualify you must be outside South Africa for more than 183 days in any 12-month period, including one unbroken stretch of more than 60 days. You still need to file returns.