🇿🇦 South Africa · Tax System
Corporate tax, VAT/GST, personal income tax, capital gains, and filing obligations.
Quick answer
South Africa taxes residents on worldwide income on a progressive scale, with a partial foreign-employment exemption. You register with SARS for a tax number, employers withhold PAYE, and individuals file via eFiling; VAT applies to most goods and services.
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) administers income tax, VAT, PAYE, customs and excise. Companies should plan corporate income tax, provisional tax, VAT registration, payroll withholding and eFiling access together.
- SARS is the live source for rates, thresholds, filing dates and interpretation notes.
- VAT, PAYE/UIF and customs obligations depend on activity, turnover, employees and imports.
- Use a registered tax practitioner for filing positions; this page is a navigation guide only.
Step-by-step
- 1
Determine your residency
You are a South African tax resident if you are ordinarily resident or meet the physical-presence test; residents are taxed on worldwide income, non-residents on SA-source income.
- 2
Get a SARS tax number
Register with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) for an income tax number; many are auto-registered through their employer.
- 3
Understand the taxes that apply
Identify progressive income tax with a partial foreign-employment-income exemption, capital gains tax, VAT (business), and UIF.
- 4
Have PAYE withheld
Employers withhold PAYE and UIF from salaries monthly.
- 5
File your return
File your income tax return during the annual filing season via SARS eFiling; provisional taxpayers pay in advance.
- 6
Pay, keep records and get advice
Pay any balance, keep records, and get advice on the foreign-employment exemption and tax-residency 'financial emigration'.
Checklist
- Residency determined (ordinarily resident / physical presence)
- SARS income tax number
- Applicable taxes identified (progressive income tax, foreign-income exemption, capital gains, VAT, UIF)
- PAYE + UIF withholding
- Return filed via SARS eFiling
- Provisional tax if applicable
- Records kept
- Advice on foreign-employment exemption
Official authorities
- South African Revenue Service
Official tax and customs authority.
- SARS — eFiling
Official electronic filing portal.
Frequently asked questions
Is foreign employment income exempt?
A portion of foreign employment income is exempt up to a cap if you meet the days-abroad requirements; the rest is taxed.
Who is a SARS tax resident?
Someone ordinarily resident in South Africa, or who meets the physical-presence day-count test.
How do I file?
Individuals file through SARS eFiling during the annual tax season.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.