BUSINESS NEWS - This year the South African Revenue Service (SARS) 2025 Filing Season is effective from 7 July to 20 October.
In this period income tax returns of the majority of taxpayers are automatically assessed. The category of taxpayers who are automatically assessed will receive notification from SARS from 7 to 20 July.
Taxpayers who do not receive notifications from SARS that they are automatically assessed, must submit their tax returns from 21 July. The Filing Season will close on 20 October for non-provisional individuals.
SARS urges all taxpayers to prepare their documentation early to check their assessments and to avoid last-minute delays for those that must submit an income return.
SARS requires taxpayers to ensure that their banking details are correct and updated. This ensures efficient processing of any refund that may be due.
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.
NOTE: There is no need to do anything if your banking details and security contact details have not changed.
Auto Assessments
In line with SARS’s objective to make it easy for taxpayers to comply, it has 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, to be automatically assessed.
The process of automatic assessment is made possible by the availability of 3rd party data received from employers, pension fund administrators, medical aid schemes and more.
This enables SARS to complete the tax declaration on behalf of this segment of taxpayers and issue them with an Auto Assessment.
The 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 is of the opinion that SARS has not captured all the necessary information, they are free to make changes on their tax returns and submit the missing information through eFiling by 20 October.
Where the taxpayer has a refund, 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, and the details are provided below.
The steps in the Auto Assessment process will work as follows:
- From 7 July, SARS will communicate directly with affected taxpayers by SMS and/or email, notifying taxpayers of their auto-assessed tax returns.
- If there is a refund due to the taxpayer, it will be paid directly to the taxpayer’s bank account within 72 business hours after the notification. If there is money owing to SARS, it must be paid to SARS’ Bank Account, eFiling or through the SARS MobiApp by the stipulated date.
- 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.
- If a taxpayer is satisfied with the auto assessment, they don’t have to do anything further and the process terminates at this point.
- If the taxpayer finds that there is missing and/or inaccurate information, pertaining to either income or expenses, which may have affected the outcome, it must be declared to SARS by submitting a tax return to SARS.
Taxpayers who are still required to file a tax return (non-provisional taxpayers and other taxpayers)
This population represents taxpayers in respect of whom their tax matters are deemed complex. This population will be able to start filing tax returns from 21 July until 20 October.
Provisional taxpayers as well as Trust submissions can start with filing a return from 21 July until 19 January.
SARS has enhanced support services this year, including:
- More information on SARS’s Interactive channels
- Extended customer service hours
- Updated online filing platforms for easier submission
- Comprehensive guidance and resources available on our 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, visit SARS website, SARS YouTube TV channel on how to videos. you can rather plug the interactive channels for various enquiries
Taxpayers are encouraged not to visit SARS branches, but to use the digital channels, namely eFiling, SARS MobiApp to transact with SARS. If it is unavoidable, book an appointment.
For more information, please contact SARSMedia@sars.gov.za
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