The South African Revenue Services (SARS) has introduced a new online “waiting room”, designed to help manage the large number of people accessing the SARS system during busy e-filing periods.
SARS launches online waiting room
Tax season has officially started in South Africa. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has introduced a number of changes aimed at making the filing process faster and easier for taxpayers. One of the biggest updates is the launch of a new online “waiting room.” It was designed with the intention of helping manage the large number of people accessing the SARS system during busy filing periods.
According to SARS, the new waiting room will help ease pressure on the e-filing platform as more taxpayers log in to check their assessment status.
According to SARS, “SARS has introduced a limited functionality webpage, known as the 'Waiting Room', to support taxpayers during the auto assessment period.”
SARS began issuing auto-assessments on 1 July and will continue to do so until 12 July. Approximately six million taxpayers are expected to receive these assessments. Taxpayers who qualify Auto assessment will be informed by SMS, They will be notified over email or WhatsApp if they are owed a refund or money from SARS.
An important change this year is that some taxpayers can now receive their assessment notices (ITA34) through WhatsApp. SARS has also made it possible to upload supporting documents via WhatsApp. This gives taxpayers a more convenient way to manage their taxes, which is often a daunting experience.
An update to the digital filing system
SARS has also updated its digital filing system to make it easier to complete tax returns. More taxpayer information will be pre-filled in the form, reducing the amount of manual capturing. SARS has simplified some questions, improved guidance related to tax residency, and made changes to help taxpayers avoid common filing mistakes.
As always, taxpayers who receive the automatic assessment and agree with the outcome will not need to do anything else. However, those who believe that the information is incorrect can make amendments and submit their return.
The filing season for taxpayers who are not self-assessed opens on July 13 and closes on October 23, 2026. Provisional taxpayers and trusts have time till January 22, 2027 to submit their returns.