Do you owe the taxman money or are you in line for a payout? With the 2026 tax filing season about to get underway, South Africans will soon find out. 

As tax season opens, SARS is urging millions of South Africans to double-check that their details are accurate and up to date before submitting their annual returns. 

Income tax return filing dates 

• Auto assessments: July 1–July 12 

• Non-provisional individuals: July 13–October 23  

• Provisional taxpayers: July 13–January 22 

• Trusts:  July 13–January 22 

Auto assessment 

SARS uses auto assessments to calculate taxpayers’ returns using information it has already received from third parties, including employers, banks, medical schemes, retirement funds and insurers. 

For many taxpayers, this means they may not need to complete or submit a tax return themselves. 

SARS says taxpayers selected for auto assessment will be notified by SMS or email between July 1 and July 12. 

The notification will indicate whether the taxpayer qualifies for a refund or owes money to SARS. 

Those wanting to check whether they will be auto-assessed can do so through the SARS Online Query System by selecting the ‘My Auto Assessment Status’ option. 

Taxpayers who do not receive an auto assessment notification by July 12 will be required to file their own personal income tax return (ITR12) from July 13.  

Returns can be submitted through SARS eFiling or the SARS MobiApp and must be completed within the filing season deadlines. 

Check your auto assessment 

SARS has urged taxpayers who receive an auto assessment to carefully review the information provided. This can be done by logging into SARS eFiling or the SARS MobiApp. 

If all the information is accurate, no further action is required and the taxpayer does not need to submit an ITR12 return. However, if any information is incorrect or incomplete, taxpayers must update the details and submit an amended ITR12 through eFiling or the MobiApp. 

While the auto assessment process is intended to make tax filing easier and more convenient, SARS emphasised the importance of carefully checking all information before accepting the assessment. 

What’s new 

SARS has also introduced several changes to make the filing process easier and more user-friendly this year. 

• To save time when filing, certain details, including investment income, may already be pre-populated on your tax return, reducing the amount of information you need to capture yourself.  

• The form has been simplified, with fewer repeated questions and clearer wording to help taxpayers complete it correctly.  

• New questions and date fields have been added to help taxpayers provide accurate residency information.  

• A dropdown list of approved medical aid schemes will help taxpayers select the correct option and avoid errors.  

• Taxpayers can now use WhatsApp for quick and easy access to selected SARS services.  

• The ITR12 form has been updated to improve navigation. Users will also find quick links to their notice of assessment (ITA34) and clearer messages when returns are overdue.  

• A new declaration alert questionnaire will help identify and resolve issues earlier, reducing the likelihood of a return being selected for verification. 

For further assistance, visit the SARS website.

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