Almost time again for tax season: Here’s when you will be auto-assessed

It is almost that time of year again: tax season begins on 7 July and runs until 20 October.

This will be the first time that income tax returns from the majority of taxpayers are automatically assessed, making the process smoother and faster.

According to the South African Revenue Service (Sars), the category of taxpayers who are automatically assessed will receive notification from SARS between 7 and 20 July.

Taxpayers who do not receive these notifications are encouraged to submit their tax returns on time with accurate information from 21 July 2025.

“We urge all taxpayers to prepare their documentation early to check their assessments and avoid last-minute delays for those that must submit an income return. We also require taxpayers to ensure that their banking details are correct and updated to ensure efficient processing of any refund that may be due.”

Sars says if you need to change your bank details, you must first check that your security contact details (email and cell phone number) on the Sars eFiling are up to date. If your banking details and security contact details are still the same, you do not have to do anything.

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What are auto assessments and who gets them?

The office of the tax man decided to start auto assessments in line with its strategic objective to make it easy for taxpayers to comply.

“We identified a large segment of non-provisional and provisional taxpayers who receive income from one or more sources from formal and other forms of employment and whose tax affairs are not complicated.

“They were selected to be automatically assessed in a process made possible by the availability of third party data received from employers, pension fund administrators, medical aid schemes and others.”

Sars says this enables it to complete the tax declaration on behalf of this segment of taxpayers and issue an auto assessment for them.

“Taxpayers in the auto assessment category do not have to do anything if they are satisfied with the calculation on their tax returns.

“If the taxpayer believes that Sars did not capture all the necessary information, they can make changes on their tax returns and submit the missing information through eFiling by 20 of October 2025.

“Where the taxpayer has a refund due, they will receive it in 72 hours if all their information is correct. If they owe Sars, they must pay Sars through their respective banks.”

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The auto assessment steps

According to Sars the auto assessment steps are:

1. From 7 July, Sars will communicate directly with affected taxpayers by SMS and/or email, notifying them of their auto-assessed tax returns.
2. If there is a refund due, it will be paid directly into the taxpayer’s bank account within 72 business hours after the notification. If you owe Sars money, you must pay it into Sars’ bank account, eFiling or through the Sars MobiApp by the stipulated date.
3. Taxpayers can access their auto assessed income tax returns through any of Sars’s channels, such as the Sars MobiApp or Sars eFiling, to review and verify the completeness and accuracy of the information that resulted in the auto assessment.
4. If taxpayers are satisfied with the auto assessment, they do not have to do anything further and the process terminates at this point.
5. If the taxpayer finds that there is missing and/or inaccurate information, pertaining to either income or expenses, which may have affected the outcome, they must declare it to Sars by submitting a tax return.

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Tax payers with more complex tax matters must still submit a tax return

The tax matters of taxpayers who are still required to file a tax return or non-provisional taxpayers and other taxpayers are deemed complex and they will be able to start filing tax returns from 21 July until 20 October 2025.

Sars says provisional taxpayers as well as trusts can start filing a return from 21 July 2025 until 19 January 2026.

The Sars team enhanced its support services this year, to include:

• More information on Sars’s Interactive channels
• Extended customer service hours
• Updated online filing platforms for easier submission
• Comprehensive guidance and resources available on its website
• Increased security measures to protect sensitive information.

“We remind taxpayers to ensure that their submissions comply with current regulations and deadlines to avoid penalties.

For assistance tax payers can visit the Sars website, Sars YouTube TV channel for how to videos.

“Taxpayers are encouraged not to visit to our branches but use our digital channels, namely eFiling, or the Sarsmobiapp to transact with Sars. But if it is unavoidable, tax payers can book an appointment.