Employees Working Abroad: How to Avoid Double Tax
Due to travel bans and restrictions imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees working on foreign assignments or abroad may not qualify for the foreign remuneration exemption for the 1 March 2020 to 28 February 2021 assessment period, and face paying double tax on the same income – in South Africa and in the foreign country. In this article, we look at the requirements for qualifying for the foreign remuneration exemption, the latest legislative and circumstantial changes that need to be considered, as well as the steps that employers can take to assist their employees to plan for their foreign remuneration tax liability and to avoid a potentially crippling double tax burden.