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Showing posts with label Ryno Viljoen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ryno Viljoen. Show all posts

Friday, 7 June 2013

Bring your Retirement Funds from SA

Cash-in your SA Retirement Annuity & Pension before you leave.




Did you know?
You can cash-in (withdraw) the full investment values of your South African retirement annuity products once your financial emigration from SA is on record.

What is financial emigration?
It’s the formal application to the SA Reserve Bank and Revenue Services to amend your residency status from an SA ‘resident’ to ‘non-resident’.  This change in residency status does not affect your SA citizenship or your right to return at any time in the future – it is only a record for SA exchange control purposes.


What then?
After financial migration, you are free to cash-in your retirement annuities and selected pension/provident preservation funds.

What are the advantages of cashing-in?
  1. You’re able to withdraw all your money from SA for re-investment in your new home country.
  2. Within 6 months of obtaining Australian permanent residency you can enjoy the tax advantages when re-investing in your Superannuation
  3. You’ll have available cash to purchase a house, cars and for general relocation costs
  4. You’ll safeguard your retirement savings from further SA currency risk
  5. You can boost your Australian retirement savings which is tax free after age 60

Are you planning to formally emigrate?
It is important to have perspective on your future personal financial position. Once deemed a ‘non-resident’ your SA income is exempt of tax and in accordance with the SA/Australia double taxation treaty,  in the future you’ll be taxed on the Australian side.

An often overlooked, but significant factor to keep in mind when emigrating, is a potential future inheritance in SA from parents, family etc.  As a ‘non-resident’, inheritance income can be freely remitted to Australia, but living abroad, as a SA resident, transferring inheritance income is fraught with difficulty!

To successfully navigate the emigration minefield it is advisable to seek professional advice in order to make your financial exit from South Africa a profitable and pleasant journey.

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Monday, 8 April 2013

PPS Insurance Members are allocated a record R3 Billion from 2012 Profits!

April 2013: The Professional Provident Society of South Africa announced their highest profit in 72-years, with R3.0 Billion going into shareholders’ 2012 Profit Share Account (previously known as Surplus Rebate Account)

PPS Members living outside of South Africa: to find out how much of this money will accrue to your Profit Share Account, please click here to have a confidential email report delivered within 24 hours.

cashkows.com : accredited PPS Global Financial Planner







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Tuesday, 13 November 2012

Emigrants seek retirement reform

Many South African emigrants face financial challenges in their new countries as their South African living annuities fail to provide sufficient income because of the declining value of the Rand.

The intended retirement reform being discussed by Treasury of late, has dire implications for all SA expats whom have left the country and still have some form of retirement funding that was left behind. Although the intention of the proposed reform is to alleviate the State from the burden of caring for the aging population in future, this is not good news for SA expats intending to retire in a new home country other than SA.

In the last two years the Rand declined for example with 23% against the Australian dollar putting huge pressure on South African emigrants who rely on the income from their SA living annuities.

The value of a typical living annuity, assuming no growth,  worth R1 million in 2010 is only worth R770 000 today in Australia – this is after the Rand declined from R6.91 on November 2010 to R9.01 November 2012.

 “South African emigrants are not allowed to redeem their full South African living annuities or pension funds when they emigrate,” says Ryno Viljoen, managing director of cashkows.com who have assisted thousands of South Africans to emigrate financially. 

 Prior to formal emigration, legislation currently only allows a SA expat to surrender one third of the value of the fund in the form of a once off capital withdrawal, net of tax ranging from 18% to 36% on this amount. The balance of two-thirds must be invested in a South African based living annuity where the annuitant has a choice to withdraw between 2,5% and 17,5% income a year, which is taxed at the marginal rate.

“The income is paid by the product provider in Rand to the annuitants South African bank account. Once the annuitant has however recorded a formal emigration from South Africa, the income is usually freely reamittable offshore, which offers a solution to SA expats wanting to transfer their income to their new home country  ,” says Mr.Viljoen.  

This living annuity is treated differently to retirement annuities and provident funds where emigrants have since 2008 been allowed to cash in and move the total amount offshore prior to the age of 55. Up to 100% from the fund can be withdrawn on which tax is paid. 
The SA Revenue Services collects tax from an emigrant when a retirement annuity is early surrendered, based on the current resignations tax table. An emigrant redeeming a R1 million policy will pay R220, 986 once off, at an effective tax rate of 22%  
                                            .
The question is why the government doesn't allow the same redemption for living annuities as is applicable to retirement annuities? The SA Revenue Service will stand to gain millions of Rand in additional tax revenue from emigrants who is not the government’s responsibility anyway.

“Any weakness in the Rand has been offset by the underlying portfolio in South Africa which has been doing better than many overseas markets. It worked well over the years but it could be disastrous for an emigrant if both turn negative.

 “There is a huge mismatch if a South African emigrant in Australia’s living standards is determined by South African investments and living annuities. The discrepancy could be large and the risk should be removed by allowing emigrants to redeem their full living annuities,” says Richard Carter, director of Allan Gray Life.

 It does not make financial sense to rely on income and assets from your home country when you emigrate to a new country. It makes more sense to earn income and to hold the majority of assets in the currency where you are living – especially if you have moved from a developing country to a developed country.

“This removes factors like currency risk and inflation which is beyond our control and which have a big effect on our wealth and ability to support our living standards and lifestyles,” says Jason Garner, financial planning coach at ACSIS. 

The emigrant is exposed to draw down and longevity risks as the living annuity investor may erode the value of the capital of the living annuity by drawing a too high rate of monthly income and living longer than expected.

“This is correct that an emigrant cannot redeem a living annuity in full. The clients are advised to consult the rules of their specific preservation fund to ensure that they are allowed to access the value of the capital after the defined retirement date contained in the fund rules,” says Peter Dempsey, deputy CEO of the Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA).

This also exposes the financial advisor who sold the living annuity for South African circumstances and is subsequently managing the investment under overseas living conditions. The overseas circumstances change the risk appetite and needs of the investor as well as the advice given

A financial advisor must determine an appropriate investment strategy and income draw-down rate for a purchaser of a living annuity so as to minimize the probability of financial ruin. 

The financial advisors use mathematical models to determine draw-down rates and deciding on the asset allocation of the portfolio. These models make assumptions about parameters like investment return and expenses based on South African circumstances. 

The advisor's role is to match the solution to the client’s needs and the asset allocation should be driven by the client’s income requirements. This could be extremely difficult for a South African financial advisor to give advice to an emigrant based in a country the South African advisor does not know.   

“If the client emigrates the whole picture changes and the client should have the right to adjust the income annuity accordingly and transfer the annuity in full  to the new home country ,” says Viljoen.

What happens now is that many emigrants draw the maximum rate of 17,5% a year as the emigrant wishes to draw the living annuity down as quickly as possible. This is according to Viljoen in contrast with the intention of the product as a living annuity is supposed to produce a level of income that is sustainable for life. 

It also places the administrator in a precarious position who must ensure that the rate at which the annuity is currently paid can continue for at least the expected lifetime of the retiree. 
The language in the legislation suggests that a living annuity can be guaranteed but this raises a question if an annuitant emigrates to a country with higher living expenses where the income cannot be guaranteed for life, without proper annuitisation. 

The irony is that an emigrant can transfer the full amount of a provident fund to the new country after paying the same taxes as is applicable to a retirement annuity. The provident rules specifically allow for the full commutation or access to the full capital value of the investment at that date. 

One should consider these retirement options carefully if you want to move to a domicile outside South Africa. The option to bequeath, which is allowed in a living annuity, or a small tax benefit could be attractive but a disaster if a person. Decides to emigrate. 

For further information contact:

Ryno Viljoen      0828517384
Richard Carter   021-415 9963
Jason Garner     0825621878
Peter Dempsey  021 673 1620


www.cashkows.com




Pensioen pootjie emigrante

Emigrante van Suid-Afrika is onder groot druk in die buiteland weens die verswakking van die Rand en trek die maksimum inkomste of lyfrente uit hulle lewende annuïteite in Suid-Afrika om hulle lewensstandaard te handhaaf.

Baie van die emigrante is afhanklik van hul lewende annuïteite vir inkomste máár word volgens Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing nie toegelaat om die lewende annuïteit ten volle tot niet te maak of na die buiteland oor te plaas nie.

Die verswakking van die Rand bring mee dat die maandelikse inkomste van Suid-Afrikaanse emigrante in byvoorbeeld Australië die afgelope twee jaar met 23% verswak het,  
“Die annuïtant word toegelaat om tussen 2,5% en 17,5% inkomste ’n jaar te trek en dit is opvallend dat emigrante deesdae dikwels die maksimum bedrag onttrek om hul lewensstandaard in die buiteland te handhaaf,” sê Ryno Viljoen, besturende direkteur van cashkows.com wat in finansiële emigrasie spesialiseer.

Dit kontrasteer met die gemiddelde onttrekking van lewende annuïteite in Suid-Afrika waar die onttrekkingskoers die afgelope jare beduidend gedaal en verlede jaar op ’n gemiddelde onttrekkingsvlak van 6,99% gestaan het, aldus Peter Dempsey, adjunk uitvoerende hoof van die Vereniging van Spaar en Beleggings van Suid-Afrika (ASISA).

Die groot onttrekkings van buitelanders is ook ’n doring in die vlees van Nasionale Tesourie wat tans die wetgewing oor aftreebeplanning ondersoek en sterk ten gunste van laer onttrekings uit lewende annuïteite is.

Die Nasionale Tesourie is veral bekommerd dat groot onttrekkings uit lewende annuïteite kan beteken  dat ’n polishouer se kapitaal opdroog en dat die persoon  van die staat afhanklik word.

 “n Emigrant se finansiële welsyn is nie die Suid-Afrikaanse regering se verantwoordelikheid nie. Die nuwe gasheerland het die verantwoordelikheid ten opsigte van die emigrant oorgeneem en dit geld ook sover dit die finansiële verpligtinge  betref,” sê Viljoen.

Uit besprekingsdokumente blyk dit ook dat Nasionale Tesourie meen dat die samestelling van ’n lewende annuïteit ’n komplekse polis is en dat keuse beperk moet word om die polishouers te beskerm. 

Aftreefondse val onder die Pensioenfondswetgewing en word deur ’n Raad van Trustees bestuur. Die voorstelle van Nasionale Tesourie is nou dat die Trustees van elke aftree-fonds sekere verpligte produkte moet identifiseer waarin die pensioenfondslede moet belê. Dit kan ook gewaarborgde produkte behels.

“Die implikasie is dat die trustees verpligte produkte kan kies wat die veiligste en maklikste is om in te belê. Dit sal heel moontlik groot beleggingshuise behels, waar die risiko versprei word en die beginsel van saamstorting (pooling) geld.

“Dit kan beteken dat die opbrengs van die produkte laer sal wees vanweë die laer risiko en dat meer Suid-Afrikaanse produkte pleks van globale produkte gekies sal word. Die emigrant behoort egter groter blootstelling te hê aan internasionale produkte of produkte van die gasheerland.

“ Wetgewing van die aard sal die tipiese emigrant verder blootstel aangesien die groei van sy kapitaal laer sal wees deurdat hulle verplig sal wees om in voorgeskrewe produkte of fondse te bele,” sê Viljoen.

Batebestuurders en ekonome verwag in die afsienbare toekoms opbrengste van tussen 5% en 10% volgens Dempsey en die risiko is dus klein dat plaaslike polishouers met onttrekkings van sowat 7%  hul kapitaal sal opgebruik, 

Dit is egter ’n ander situasie met emigrante wat genoop is om groter onttrekkings in die buiteland te maak. 

Die grootskaalse onttrekking deur emigrante bots ook met die algemene oogmerk van ’n lewende annuïteit naamlik om ’n volhoubare inkomste lewenslank te verskaf.

Die daling in die plaaslike onttrekkingskoers van lewende annuïteite skryf Dempsey grootliks toe aan die vorige verlaging in die amptelike onttrekkingskoers en groter ingryping van kliënte se finansiële adviseurs wat oor die algemeen laer inkomstevlakke kies.

Die finansiële adviseur se onttrekkingskoersvoorstel is dikwels gebaseer op Suid-Afrikaanse omstandighede wat ontoepaslik oorsee is. Dit is ook baie moeilik vir ’n plaaslike adviseur om ’n kliënt, wat intussen geëmigreer het, te adviseur oor ’n land waarvan hy moontlik min weet.

Syfers van ASISA toon dat die lewende annuïteitsmark geweldig groot is en dat R155,2 miljard verlede jaar in sowat 278 000 lewende annuïteite belê was. Die afgelope jaar is alleen  R23,9 miljard in lewende annuïte belê.

“Verbruikers wat nie genoeg geld vir hulle aftrede gespaar het nie, wend hulle ongelukkig om die verkeerde rede tot lewende annuïteite. Die onttrekking van hoër inkomste uit ’n lewende annuïteit kan iemand sonder genoeg aftreekapitaal in die vroeë jare help om ’n sekere lewensstyl te handhaaf. Ontbering sal egter volg sodra die kapitaal oor ’n kort tydperk uitgeput word,” sê Dempsey.

Die bespreking rondom aftree-hervorming bied egter die ideale geleentheid aan die regering volgens Viljoen om emigrante meer tegemoet te kom en hulle toe te laat om hul lewende annuïteite ten volle tot niet te maak net soos in die geval met voorsorgfondse. Dit sal risikofaktore buite emigrante se beheer soos valuta- en inflasierisko verminder.

“Dit sal ook die regering in staat stel om dadelik addisionele belasting van emigrante te verhaal. In plaas van die huidige regime waarop belasting verhaal word vanaf die annuiteit (inkomste) gedeelte oor die termyn van die lewende annuiteit, kan belasting eerder eenmalig verhaal word vanaf die kapitaal, wat ‘n beduidende inspuiting vir die fiskus sal wees. Dit is ‘n wen wen situasie vir die regering en vir emigrante wat beplan om in die buiteland af te tree,,” sê Viljoen.

Vir verdere inligting kontak:

Ryno Viljoen      0828517384
Peter Dempsey  021 673 1620


www.cashkows.com

Wednesday, 8 August 2012

Tax-free transfer of residential properties from a company or trust in South Africa – the clock is ticking…..

Your tax accountant in your newly adopted country was horrified to learn about the house/ property owned by your South African trust? It gets even more complicated if the property is registered in a close corporation (CC)/ company which is owned by that trust.


Have you been stung by the not-so-friendly double tax agreements, which allow you to be taxed on the rental income in two countries but denies you any tax credit?


Historically, some individuals acquired their residence in a company, CC or trust, primarily to avoid transfer duty and ultimately, one day, estate duty. You now live in a new country where estate duty is much less of a concern and the current layered corporate structure in South Africa is now probably no longer worth retaining.


Worst is, from an international tax point of view, you probably regret having set up the South African trust structure which in the current property market globally, does not really allow you to sell off and unwind this now seemingly inappropriate structure.


With recent developments in South Africa and the introduction of new corporate rules, the former close corporation is now treated very much like a private company held by closely linked individuals. The question is, do you convert the CC, close the trust or just leave all as is?


A concession has been enacted by the South African Revenue Services that allows for the tax-free transfer of a residence from a company or trust into the hands of shareholders or beneficiaries of the company or trust who are natural persons. Where the concession applies, the transfer is free from CGT, dividend tax and transfer duty. The entity or entities (in a multi-tier structure) out of which the residence is transferred must however be revoked, de-registered or liquidated.


The main requirements for the application of the concession are that the residence must be:

  • mainly used for domestic purposes during the period from 11 February 2009 to the date of disposal;
  • by one or more natural persons  who are connected persons in relation to the company or trust  that owns the residence:
    • in simple English: a shareholder holding of 20% or more of the shares in a company is a connected person in relation to the company;
    • any member of a CC is a connected person in relation to a CC;
    • any beneficiary of a trust is a connected person in relation to the trust; and
    • where a CC is trust owned, a connected party to the trust is a connected party to the CC yet not always a connected party to all companies owned by the trust. To be connected to a company the trust beneficiary should effectively be a 20% indirect shareholder of the company, once the trust layer is ignored.
  • the residence must be disposed of on or before 31 December 2012
South Africans living abroad should understand that they need to obtain advice from a tax specialist, an attorney or other registered advisor to understand not only the benefits, but also to ensure that they truly meet the requirements for the relief, prior to them incurring any professional fees. It is also advised that you properly understand both the South African tax implications and exchange control requirements as well as the relevant tax position in your newly adopted country.

In terms of South African tax law, the qualifying connected member/shareholder/beneficiary or transferee, effectively "takes over" the property at the original base cost of the residence. In this case it is either the 2001 valuation price, or the time apportioned base cost plus the cost of improvements and the associate cost of disposal, be it a fresh valuation or cost to sub-divide.

There are many pitfalls that one should however consider, such as donations tax, the fact that you are a tax non-resident and CGT withholding taxes may apply to property held in your personal name.


The lawyers’ fees or conveyance and mortgage cancellation and registration fees remains due and payable at the current market value. The existing mortgage bond may be passed on, yet it is important that approval of the bond in the name of the new owner’s name be approved prior to 31 December 2012 as the transaction or agreement needs to final and binding by 31 December 2012.


What do you do should you be interested to explore this opportunity? Contact us at www.cashkows.com or send us an email to taxinfo@cashkows.com.



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Friday, 30 March 2012

How to keep your South African citizenship?

Planning to apply for a foreign passport, but want to retain your South African citizenship?

Don’t forget to apply for the retention of your South African citizenship first, or you’ll lose it, the South African High Commission in London has confirmed in response to recent queries from ”Saffers” in the United Kingdom.


An application for the retention of South African citizenship must be made before one acquires any foreign nationality. Persons under the age of 18 years do not need to apply for retention of their South African citizenship, as they will not lose their citizenship while still minors.

How do I apply?

You need to contact the consular section of the High Commission in your new home country to obtain the necessary forms.

The processing fee for this type of application varies from country to country, as a rule of thumb the cost in the United Kingdom is £25.00.

Turnaround time for applications also varies, usually it is 15 working days.

What happens if I became a foreign citizen without applying to retain my South African citizenship?

A person who has lost South African citizenship by virtue of failure to apply for the retention of South African citizenship will have the right to permanent residency in South Africa if he or she was born there. Such a person will be allowed to apply for the resumption or reinstatement of South African citizenship in South Africa. An application for resumption or reinstatement of South African citizenship is approved on condition that the applicant will live permanently in South African once his or her application has been approved.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Your South African Citizenship is not in any way affected by the process of formal emigration (financial exit) from South Africa.


www.cashkows.com

Tuesday, 18 October 2011

South Africa: Taxation of Expatriates

Have you ever wondered how you will be taxed in South Africa, especially since you have left the country and are now residing somewhere else in the world? We often get questions about this subject matter as most people more often than not, choose to ignore the subject as the mere thought of tax gives you a good reason to adopt the ostrich strategy (putting your head in the ground and hoping that you will not be seen).

The facts about your physical offshore status are however as follows:
Since 2001, residents (called 'ordinarily resident') are taxed on their world-wide income, but non-resident persons continue to be taxed only on their South African source income.
'Ordinary residence' is not defined in the law, but has been described as involving some continuity of residence, or as being the place where a person's belongings are stored, and to which he means to return.

Expatriates on assignment are normally classified as 'temporarily resident', which is equivalent to non-resident from a tax perspective, although there might come a point at which this could be challenged if roots start to go down too deeply.

On departure, an expatriate may take away his savings, but needs to confirm that he has not emigrated from South Africa before.

South African-source (taxed) income includes earnings from employment, remuneration for services rendered in South Africa, rent from property assets located in South Africa, and interest from loans applied or used in South Africa. Dividends however are not taxed in the hands of a South African natural person

A person is resident in South Africa for tax purposes if he or she:
• spends 183 days or more in the country;
• is “ordinarily resident” in the country (i.e. has a permanent dwelling in South Africa, or has close family, business or social ties with South Africa); or
• is physically present in South Africa for more than 91 days in each of the current and the previous five tax years, and is physically present in South Africa for a period exceeding 915 days in aggregate.

So be aware and take note how you will be taxed in South Africa:
Resident individuals are taxed on their worldwide income; non-residents are taxed on their South Africa-sourced income only.

A good reason to consider your tax residency status in South Africa!

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