Tax Residency Advice for South Africans in Australia

Clear, practical tax residency information for South Africans moving to or living in Australia - from an accountant who understands both systems.

Helping South Africans Navigate
Australian & South African Tax

If you’re a South African living in Australia - or preparing to make the move - managing your tax affairs across two countries can quickly become complex. Questions around tax immigration and tax residency, ongoing South African interests, SARS tax returns and double taxation often create uncertainty and stress.

SATAA (South African Tax Accountants in Australia) provides specialist tax advice and consultation services for South Africans with South African tax compliance requirements and its impact on Australian tax exposure. Led by Gillian Nathan, a uniquely qualified accountant registered in both South Africa and Australia, SATAA helps you understand your obligations, make informed decisions, and confidently manage your tax residency in South Africa and Australia.

Whether you still hold property, investments, pensions or business interests in South Africa, or you’re unsure how your move to Australia affects your tax status, we verstaan and we’re here to guide you.

What We Help With

Our role is to provide specialist advice and clarity, then refer you to the appropriate tax agents or practitioners for compliance or implementation where required. If you are immigrating, or have recently immigrated, to Australia you may have a number of questions about your tax residency status and how to deal with SARS.  We can help you with question related to any of the following:

  • Australian and South African Tax residency status

  • Breaking tax residency with the South African Revenue Service (SARS)

  • Double Taxation Agreements and taxing rights

  • What income to include related to temporary work visas

  • Taxation immigration

  • Ongoing South African income and/or capital gains and how its dealt with in South Africa and Australia  

  • Transferring South African pension or RAF benefits to Australian Super - what you need to do in South Africa, and how it’s taxed in Australia.

Compliance Advisory Support and Consultation

Understanding and complying with tax obligations in both South Africa and Australia is critical but it can be overwhelming. Our consultations are designed to give you certainty, confidence, and a clear path forward for your tax status and compliance requirements in both South Africa and Australia. 

We provide advisory support to ensure you understand your compliance requirements, how income should be treated in each country, and how to avoid double taxation.

As we no longer offer compliance services, where tax returns or formal lodgements are required, we will guide you through what needs to be done and then refer you to a trusted professional in our network to carry out the work, if required.  This ensures your tax affairs are handled correctly, efficiently, and compliant in both jurisdictions. 

Our core service is specialist advice tailored to South Africans living in Australia, or moving to Australia, with South African and Australian tax exposure, seeking clarity on their tax residency and ongoing tax obligations. We provide clear, structured consultations covering:

Determination of tax residency
Application of double taxation agreements
Taxing rights between South Africa and Australia
Tax Treatment of the various income types, and its source

Specialist Tax Residency Advice You Can Trust

SATAA exists for one reason: to help South Africans in Australia navigate tax complexity with clarity and confidence. With experience in both tax systems, we bridge the gap between South African and Australian legislation and explain it in a way that actually makes sense.

Dual
Expertise

Gillian is an Australian
registered tax agent
and a registered
South African
tax practitioner.

True Cross-Border
Experience

Big Four experience,
including work with SARS,
KPMG, and senior advisory
roles across
international tax.

Clear
Communication

Practical advice, culturally
aware, and yes, someone
who will verstaan.

Specialist Tax Residency Advice You Can Trust

SATAA exists for one reason: to help South Africans in Australia navigate tax complexity with clarity and confidence. With experience in both tax systems, we bridge the gap between South African and Australian legislation and explain it in a way that actually makes sense.

Dual Expertise

Gillian is an Australian registered tax agent and a registered South African tax practitioner.

True Cross-Border Experience

Big Four experience, including work with SARS, KPMG, and senior advisory roles across international tax.

Clear Communication

Practical advice, culturally aware, and yes, someone who will verstaan.

Certifications

What People Are Saying

  • "Gillian and her team do an excellent job, and they are experts in accounting and tax. I am very confident in referring my clients to them."

    — Gareth Davis, Powerhouse Property

  • "Since day one, Gill and her team have taken our accounting burden off us and allowed us to focus on our core business."

    — Grant Hartland, Hypothesis Consulting and Personal Tax Client

South Africans, Get Clear on Your Tax Position

If you’re unsure where you stand with your tax obligations in Australia and South Africa - or want confidence that you’re making the right decisions - book a consultation with SATAA. We’ll help you understand the system, avoid costly mistakes, and move forward with clarity.