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Living in the UK

SARS tax residency for South Africans living in the UK

Moving to the UK doesn’t end your South African tax residency on its own. SARS’s records will still show you as a tax resident until you tell them otherwise, even if you’ve been paying UK tax regularly for years.

For many people with straightforward affairs, formally ceasing that residency is a process you can understand and work through yourself.

See how the course works

Why your SARS status matters when you live in the UK

Your income

While SARS has you down as a resident, they expect you to declare the income you earn in the UK. The UK–South Africa double taxation agreement exists to stop the same income being taxed twice, but relying on it still involves technical knowledge and paperwork and doesn’t update your status with SARS.

Your retirement annuity

Accessing a South African retirement annuity after you’ve emigrated is generally linked to your tax residency status and how long you’ve been non-resident.

Letters from SARS

SARS is increasingly contacting South Africans abroad. Knowing where you stand makes those letters much easier to deal with.

Typical questions

What we often hear from South Africans in the UK

I left years ago and never told SARS.”

This is very common. Many people only get around to formalising their tax emigration years after they’ve moved. The course explains how the date you stopped being a resident is worked out, and what that means for the years in between.

I’ve had a letter from SARS.”

A letter isn’t a reason to panic. Understanding your residency status is usually the first step towards responding clearly. If you’re already in a formal dispute or under audit, professional support is the better route.

I want to access my retirement annuity.”

Ceasing your tax residency is usually part of that journey. Our Retirement Annuity segment covers the RA side in detail.

Built in the UK, for South Africans in the UK

Andrew Fraser is a Chartered Accountant who has advised on South African tax for over 40 years. He is now based in the UK, helping South Africans with cross-border tax through SAUK Tax. The DIY Tax Emigration Course is built on the same real-world process.

How the course helps

The DIY Tax Emigration Course takes you through the SARS side of the process step by step: where you stand, what to prepare, how to update your status, and what the tax consequences are. It’s £69.99 with 120 days’ access.

Start the course: £69.99