Sars notice for non-residents: key tax filing insights
Image: Supplied
On 28 July 2025, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) issued another notice specifically aimed at South Africans abroad concerning their tax residency status. It deals with how an individual who is a non-resident taxpayer on the Sars system should complete their tax return this filing season.
While Sars announced enhancements to this year's ITR12 return to make it easier for non-resident taxpayers to declare South African-sourced income, it does not address the critical issue of what will happen if their Sars profile does not match their non-resident tax status.
There are many South Africans abroad who think they are non-resident taxpayers, but this status is not reflected as such on the Sars system.
With South Africa's residency-based tax system, different tax rules apply to residents and non-residents, with a significant difference in tax liabilities.
Therefore, expatriates should urgently confirm their tax residency status before they submit their returns this filing season.
This is crucial because even taxpayers who previously ceased tax residency by following the formal process of financial emigration and have records to show it, now find the Sars system may have reverted them to being tax residents.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Next
Stay
Close ✕
There are various reasons as to why one's status can be reverted, but the important takeaway for expatriates is that Sars will tax them according to the tax residency status on record. South Africans living and working abroad should not assume they are non-resident if that is not what is reflected on their eFiling profile.
The correct legal document expatriates must have in their possession is the Sars issued Non-Resident Tax Status Confirmation Letter, introduced in 2021. This letter confirms cessation of tax residency, indicating the effective date of ceasing tax residency in South Africa. With this letter, you will protect your worldwide income from being taxed in South Africa.
The Sars note serves as a timely reminder to expatriates to check their non-residency tax status. With the filing deadline of October 20, 2025, this allows non-resident taxpayers enough time to obtain the Non-Resident Tax Status Confirmation Letter should their tax status on eFiling reflect incorrectly. With this letter in hand, you will be sure to file according to your status.
South Africans abroad who are uncertain of how to check their status should seek assistance from tax specialists. Completing a tax diagnostic as a first step will provide an all-encompassing review of the taxpayer's tax affairs and reveal any inconsistencies.
If your status is indeed correctly reflected as non-resident, you can proceed with submitting your tax return, either a zero return or a return declaring your South African-sourced income for the year of assessment.
Should the system incorrectly show your tax residency status, follow the process of requesting your Non-Resident Tax Status letter with a simple submission to Sars. Once issued, your details will be corrected on the Sars eFiling platform.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
Effective empowerment of women will boost the economy
Refilwe Lesufi Image: Supplied As Women's Month continues to be commemorated in South Africa with colourful banners and applause, it is worth noting that for many women and girls, the struggle for equal opportunity is a daily lived experience. Efforts to empower women and girls in South Africa have not resulted in an impactful shift in addressing historical disparities. The labour market continues to favour men and shows minimal signs of making real progress towards improving prospects for women. Stats SA's latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the second quarter of 2025 reveals ongoing disparities in the labour market. A media statement by Stats SA notes that the unemployment rate for women in this period was 35,9% compared with 31,0% for men, a gap of 4,9 percentage points. 'These differences reflect persistent gender imbalances in unemployment, labour force participation and the sectors in which men and women are employed.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Education is also not closing the gap in unemployment for South African women, according to the Stats SA statement, and gender disparities in the labour market remain entrenched across all levels of educational attainment. 'In the second quarter of 2025, the official unemployment rate for graduates stood at 12,2%, marking a 0,5 percentage point increase from the previous quarter. … a closer look reveals a persistent gender gap among the most educated. Female graduates faced an unemployment rate of 15%, compared to 8,9% for their male counterparts, a difference of 6,1 percentage points.' A gender-focused approach is needed to deliver employment opportunities that are inclusive and responsive to challenges faced by women. In South Africa, a large share of the country's scarce skills lies within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM ) fields. According to the Reginsights article, ''The Most In-Demand Skills in South Africa 2025,' skills such as ICT specialists, engineering professionals, healthcare workers, renewable energy experts, technicians, education specialists, agricultural scientists, finance specialists, and logistics professionals are all in short supply. As we celebrate National Science Week, let us remember that the future of STEM in South Africa lies in the hands of our youth. Image: Supplied STEM as a strategic driver offers a powerful, gender-focused pathway to creating inclusive employment opportunities, especially for women in rural areas, informal settlements and townships, while directly addressing the unique barriers they face. PROTEC is an independent NPO that provides education support in STEM gateway subjects – Mathematics, Technology and Science – as well as English and World of Work life skills training. In partnership with our funders, we have consistently committed to advancing the gender equality and redress agenda. More than 63% of our total beneficiaries are female, and we are seeing a growing number of young women pursuing careers in engineering, science, and other STEM fields that were once male-dominated. In 2024, ten of PROTEC's top twelve matric beneficiaries were female. Why is a focus on women so important? An article by the Stellenbosch University Business School in December 2024, titled 'Equal pay for equal work: How does South Africa measure up?' reveals that, 'In South Africa, around 38% of households are headed by women. Female-headed households are approximately 40% poorer than those headed by men. Also, 48% of female-headed households support extended family members compared to only 23% of male-headed households.' Women bear a disproportionate burden in caring for children, earn less than men, are more vulnerable to domestic violence, and face greater challenges in accessing resources to improve their lives — illustrating how power dynamics continue to favour men.
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Effective empowerment of women will boost the economy
Refilwe Lesufi | Published 14 minutes ago As Women's Month continues to be commemorated in South Africa with colourful banners and applause, it is worth noting that for many women and girls, the struggle for equal opportunity is a daily lived experience. Efforts to empower women and girls in South Africa have not resulted in an impactful shift in addressing historical disparities. The labour market continues to favour men and shows minimal signs of making real progress towards improving prospects for women. Stats SA's latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the second quarter of 2025 reveals ongoing disparities in the labour market. A media statement by Stats SA notes that the unemployment rate for women in this period was 35,9% compared with 31,0% for men, a gap of 4,9 percentage points. 'These differences reflect persistent gender imbalances in unemployment, labour force participation and the sectors in which men and women are employed.' Education is also not closing the gap in unemployment for South African women, according to the Stats SA statement, and gender disparities in the labour market remain entrenched across all levels of educational attainment. 'In the second quarter of 2025, the official unemployment rate for graduates stood at 12,2%, marking a 0,5 percentage point increase from the previous quarter. … a closer look reveals a persistent gender gap among the most educated. Female graduates faced an unemployment rate of 15%, compared to 8,9% for their male counterparts, a difference of 6,1 percentage points.' A gender-focused approach is needed to deliver employment opportunities that are inclusive and responsive to challenges faced by women. In South Africa, a large share of the country's scarce skills lies within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM ) fields. According to the Reginsights article, ''The Most In-Demand Skills in South Africa 2025,' skills such as ICT specialists, engineering professionals, healthcare workers, renewable energy experts, technicians, education specialists, agricultural scientists, finance specialists, and logistics professionals are all in short supply. STEM as a strategic driver offers a powerful, gender-focused pathway to creating inclusive employment opportunities, especially for women in rural areas, informal settlements and townships, while directly addressing the unique barriers they face. PROTEC is an independent NPO that provides education support in STEM gateway subjects – Mathematics, Technology and Science – as well as English and World of Work life skills training. In partnership with our funders, we have consistently committed to advancing the gender equality and redress agenda. More than 63% of our total beneficiaries are female, and we are seeing a growing number of young women pursuing careers in engineering, science, and other STEM fields that were once male-dominated. In 2024, ten of PROTEC's top twelve matric beneficiaries were female. Why is a focus on women so important? An article by the Stellenbosch University Business School in December 2024, titled ' Equal pay for equal work: How does South Africa measure up? ' reveals that, 'In South Africa, around 38% of households are headed by women. Female-headed households are approximately 40% poorer than those headed by men. Also, 48% of female-headed households support extended family members compared to only 23% of male-headed households.' Women bear a disproportionate burden in caring for children, earn less than men, are more vulnerable to domestic violence, and face greater challenges in accessing resources to improve their lives — illustrating how power dynamics continue to favour men. With concerted effort by South African organisations across the board, we can break barriers, redress imbalances, and ensure that South Africa's future workforce is inclusive and ready for the challenges of tomorrow. Industry leaders can actively invest in: Exposure – by introducing girls to STEM career paths from an early age. Support – by funding education, training, and resources. Mentorship – by connecting learners with role models. Employment pathways – through internships, bursaries and jobs. As UN Women reminds us: 'Ensuring women's and girls' rights in all areas of their lives is the only way to secure prosperous and just economies and build a healthy planet for future generations.' By deliberately empowering girls and women, we have the power to reshape history, drive economic growth, reduce poverty and improve health and livelihoods.
eNCA
5 hours ago
- eNCA
SAYTA calls for govt to address youth unemployment
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's unemployment rate continues to be a major concern. In the second quarter, joblessness rose to 33.2%, with youth unemployment stubbornly high at 46.1%. Amid these bleak figures, many South Africans say they are tired of speeches and promises from government leaders. They call on government to use the National Dialogue to address youth unemployment.
