An international comparative study of the effect of personal income tax on labour migration

Abstract

Individuals are constantly on the lookout for tax incentives or ways in which they can pay less tax without ending up in the tax authorities‟ bad books. Driven by the desire for a better life, individuals are willing to try everything within their legal powers and rights to avoid having to pay exorbitant taxes. South African employees are in no way an exception to these circumstances. Urged on by their belief that South African taxes are unreasonably high, individuals have crossed international borders in the hope of finding a location where their income will not be subject to exorbitant taxes. Research on the effects of taxation on labour migration has been carried out in countries such as Australia, the Netherlands, Norway and Indonesia. Although greatly affected by the growing population of labour migration, the majority of the research conducted in South Africa with regard to labour migration has focused mainly on the reasons motivating migration among skilled South African labourers. As far as could be determined, little or no research has been conducted to assess whether the reasons (inter alia, the South African personal income tax system) cited by South Africans justify the rapid rate at which South Africans flee from the country. The aim of this study is to establish whether South African employees working in the Netherlands and Australia receive any tax incentives or beneficial tax treatment that they otherwise would not have received had they remained employed in South Africa. This objective will be achieved by assessing whether a South African employee is placed in a more beneficial tax position when they accept international employment assignments in the Netherlands and Australia as opposed to the tax position they would find themselves in should they turn down any and all international employment assignments (i.e. remain employed in South Africa no matter what). The study will discuss the tax principles an employee will be subject to upon accepting an international employment assignment in either Australia or the Netherlands. The tax principles of the respective countries will then be compared to those applicable to employees who remain employed in South Africa. This comparison will be conducted with the primary objective of establishing in which of the three countries a South African employee receives the most beneficial tax treatment. AFRIKAANS : Individue is voortdurend op die uitkyk vir belastingtoegewings of maniere waarop hulle minder belasting kan betaal sonder om by die belastingowerheid in die moeilikheid te kom. Aangedryf deur die begeerte vir 'n beter lewe, is individue bereid om alles te probeer om binne hul wetlike magte en regte te voorkom dat hulle buitensporige belasting betaal. Suid-Afrikaanse werknemers is geen uitsondering in hierdie verband nie. Gemotiveer deur hul siening dat Suid-Afrikaanse belasting onredelik hoog is, het individue internasionale grense oorgesteek het in die hoop om 'n plek te vind waar hul inkomste nie onderhewig sal wees aan buitensporige belasting nie. Navorsing oor die effek van belasting op arbeidsmigrasie is in lande soos Australië, Nederland, Noorweë en Indonesië onderneem. Die meeste van hierdie navorsing het gefokus op die redes waarom geskoolde Suid-Afrikaanse werkers emigreer. Sover vasgestel kon word, is min of geen navorsing gedoen om te bepaal of die redes (onder meer, die Suid-Afrikaanse persoonlike inkomstebelastingstelsel) aangehaal deur Suid- Afrikaners die vinnige tempo regverdig waarteen Suid-Afrikaners die land verlaat nie. Die doel van hierdie studie is om vas te stel of Suid-Afrikaanse werknemers in Nederland en Australië enige belastingtoegewings of voordelige belastingbehandeling ontvang wat hulle nie sou ontvang het as hulle in Suid-Afrika in diens gebly het nie. Hierdie doel sal bereik word deur te bepaal of 'n Suid-Afrikaanse werknemer in 'n meer voordelige belasting posisie geplaas word wanneer hulle internasionale indiensnemingsopdragte in Nederland en Australië aanvaar, in teenstelling met die belasting posisie waarin hulle hulself sal bevind indien hulle alle internasionale indiensneming werkopdragte van die hand wys (maw tot elke prys in Suid-Afrika in diens bly). Die studie sal die belastingbeginsels bespreek waaraan 'n werknemer onderhewig sal wees by die aanvaarding van 'n internasionale indiensnemingsopdrag in Australië of Nederland. Die belastingbeginsels van die onderskeie lande sal dan vergelyk word met dié wat van toepassing op werknemers wat in Suid-Afrika in diens bly. Hierdie vergelyking sal plaasvind met die primêre doel om te bepaal in watter van die drie lande 'n Suid-Afrikaanse werknemer die mees voordelige belastinghantering ontvang. Copyright 2011, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Mabaso, ND 2011, An international comparative study of the effect of personal income tax on labour migration, MCom dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-03122012-125824 / > F12/4/170/gm