The South African Revenue Service (SARS) says its 2026 filing season will provide taxpayers with a simpler, faster and more secure experience through a series of digital enhancements aimed at making tax compliance easier.
Filing season officially started this week. SARS said that by the end of 1 July, more than 1.9 million taxpayers had been self-assessed, with nearly R8 billion in refunds paid within 72 hours.
According to SARS, the reforms are part of a commitment to building a smart, modern revenue service and are designed to reduce effort, improve accuracy and reduce the need for taxpayers to visit SARS branches.
Enhancements include more accurate auto-assessment using expanded third-party data, improved self-service through e-filing, stronger security through SARS MobiApp and SARS Online Query System, biometric and two-factor authentication, expanded support through Lwazi AI Virtual Assistant and the ability to upload supporting documents through WhatsApp. Assessment notifications and account details can also be distributed through WhatsApp and other digital channels.
SARS expects more than six million taxpayers this year to receive auto-assessment using information from employers, banks, medical schemes, superannuation funds and other third-party providers to pre-populate tax returns.
Taxpayers selected for auto-assessment between July 1 and 12 are advised not to visit SARS service centers immediately, but wait for official communication and review their assessments through eFiling, SARS MobiApp or other authorized digital channels.
SARS also urged taxpayers to remain vigilant against scams, phishing attacks, fake refund schemes and unregistered tax practitioners. The Revenue Service said it will never request passwords, one-time PIN (OTP), banking PIN or e-filing login credentials via email, SMS, social media or telephone and encourages taxpayers to only use official SARS channels.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily breaking news, not AI intervention. Enjoyed reading!