Can you claim a daily $ allowance from SARS for business travel outside of RSA?

By Marc Sevitz · Updated

I am a South African resident, that often travels across the border for business purposes. These trips are usually only a few days long and are paid for by the company. It has been mentioned to me that there may be a system called per diem, in which one may be able to claim a $ allowance amount per day spent across the border. Do you know anything about such a system and if so, how does it work?

TaxTim Marc

TaxTim Marc said:
11 November 2013 at 16:33

Yes you are given a daily allowance tax free depending on which country you visit, you are able to find these values on the SARS website. This only applies if your company pays you an allowance for meals etc (not accommodation) and then you are taxed on these amounts. If they pay for everything then no allowance can be claimed against anything.
Salary / IRP5
Independent Contractor
Deductions
Commission
Travel Allowance