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The South African
5 days ago
- Business
- The South African
Tax season 2025: What to do if you receive an auto-assessment
Tax season for 2025 officially opened on Monday, 7 July. Image: iStock Tax season is finally here, and as usual, the South African Revenue Services (SARS) will issue auto-assessments for some taxpayers. What does this mean, and what steps can one take after the auto-assessment? An auto-assessment, which is part of SARS' commitment to make the fulfilment of one's tax obligation as seamless as possible, is based on the data SARS receives from employers, financial institutions, medical schemes, retirement fund administrators, and other third-party data providers. If you agree with your auto-assessment, there is nothing further to be done. Should you not agree with the auto-assessment, you can complete and file your tax return by visiting eFiling or the SARS MobiApp. It's important to note that auto-assessments start from 7 – 20 July 2025 while filing season opens for non-provisional taxpayers who were not auto-assessed will start from 21 July – 20 October 2025. Lastly, the tax season for provisional taxpayers will start from 21 July – 19 January 2026. Here are some of the frequently asked questions and their answers during tax season: Question Answer How does Auto Assessment work? SARS receives data from employers, medical schemes, banks, retirement funds, and other third parties. We then use such data to populate your income tax return and calculate your income tax assessment. If we are satisfied that the data and tax calculation is correct, we issue the assessment to you through eFiling or the SARS MobiApp. At the same time, we also send you a message to your preferred channel of communication (such as SMS or email) to let you know that your assessment on eFiling or the SARS MobiApp is ready for you to review. This process is referred to as Auto Assessment. How do I know that the pre-populated data on my income tax return is correct? To view your data in detail:· Log in to eFiling.· Select the 'Third Party Data Certificate' search button on the menu bar.· Select the certificate type.· Submit or search any certificate that you want to there is an error in your data or the data is incomplete:· Ask the institution (such as your employer, bank, medical scheme or retirement fund) to correct the information it gave to SARS.· When you receive confirmation from the third party that your data was corrected and filed with SARS, access your income tax return again on eFiling or MobiApp.· Check that the data has been updated and file your income tax return on eFiling or SARS MobiApp. Can I change any of the third-party data populated on my Auto Assessment (for example, medical-aid information)? No, the data that SARS used to populate your income tax return is the same data provided to you by your service provider (e.g. employer, bank, medical scheme or retirement fund). To correct any information, you must ask the service provider to correct and give the right information to SARS. What if I do not agree with my income tax assessment? · You can change your Income Tax Return and submit it on or before 20 October 2025.· You can submit your return on SARS eFiling ( or the SARS MobiApp. · For help with your return, go to How will I know if I have been Auto Assessed? From 1 July 2025, access the SARS Online Query System (SOQS) from the SARS website and click on 'My Auto Assessment Status'. What if a refund is due to me? Refunds of R100 or more will be paid automatically within 72 hours. Refunds of less than R100 will be added to your account and paid out when your account balance exceeds R100. You can find out your refund status on WhatsApp (0800 11 7277), SARS MobiApp, or by dialling *134*7277#. What if my assessment shows that I owe SARS Debt of R100 or more must be paid by the due date. If the Debt is less than R100 you can choose whether to pay it now or let it be carried over to the next tax year. Remember, interest is payable on any debt, whether less than R100, or R100 or more. Interest is charged on the bottom-line balance of the assessed account (it is a consolidated account). Even if the debt is not followed up by debt collection, interest will still be charged. Why am I not Auto Assessed? You will not receive an Auto Assessment if your personal information is incomplete (you can update your details on eFiling). You will also not be Auto Assessed if you received income other than employment and investment income, e.g. rental income. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
30-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Sars makes changes to eFiling for easy use
The Express functionality will enable taxpayers to easily view, update, and manage their tax affairs. The South African Revenue Services (Sars) has added an option on the eFiling platform ahead of the 2025 tax season to make it easier for taxpayers to process their auto assessments. Tax season 2025 is set to run from 7 July to 20 October. The new option, 'Express Functionality', will be available to taxpayers who are auto-assessed by the taxman. The Express functionality will enable taxpayers to easily view, update, and manage their tax affairs. How new option work on eFiling 'The most frequently used functions for Personal Income Tax are now more directly accessible on the eFiling landing page,' says the taxman Taxpayers will notice the 'Express' tabs at the top left of the eFiling profile home page. These tabs are expected to offer taxpayers the functions that will enable them to submit previous years' returns, view or edit tax returns, and update personal or banking details. The Citizen attempted to run a trial run of the new function, but it appears it has not been included in the user's profile. The reason could be that the user is not auto-assessed, or the taxman will add it on the platform closer to the beginning of the tax season. ALSO READ: Sars records increase in taxpayers who filed returns Auto assessment The system selects taxpayers that it will auto-assess based on the information received from third parties. These include employers, medical schemes, banks, and retirement funds. 'We then use such data to populate your income tax return and calculate your income tax assessment. If we are satisfied that the data and tax calculation are correct, we issue the assessment to you through eFiling or the SARS MobiApp. 'At the same time, we also send you a message to your preferred channel of communication (such as SMS or email) to let you know that your assessment on eFiling or the SARS MobiApp is ready for you to review,' said Sars. Refunds The taxman said refunds of R100 or more will be paid automatically within 72 hours. Refunds of less than R100 will be added to your account and paid out when your account balance exceeds R100. You can check your refund status on WhatsApp (0800 11 7277), Sars MobiApp, or by dialling *134*7277#. 'Debt of R100 or more must be paid by the due date. If the Debt is less than R100 you can choose whether to pay it now or let it be carried over to the next tax year. Remember, interest is payable on any debt, whether less than R100, or R100 or more.' Those who are auto-assessed by the taxman will receive a notification from Sars between 7 and 20 July. Taxpayers who did not receive a notification during that period are encouraged to submit their tax returns with accurate information from 21 July till 20 October. NOW READ: Two-pot retirement system: Almost 4 million withdrawals close to R57 billion
The Citizen
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
It's tax season: SARS auto-assessment and deadlines simplified
The South African Revenue Services (SARS) has announced the official start of the 2025 tax filing season, effective from July 7 to October 20. During this important period SARS will automatically assess the income-tax returns of most taxpayers. The category of taxpayers who are automatically assessed will be notified via email or SMS. Taxpayers who do not receive an auto assessment notification from SARS are required to file a tax return from July 21. The filing season will close on October 20 for non-provisional individuals, including those whose tax matters are more complex. With the exception of trusts, provisional taxpayers can submit returns from July 21, 2025 until January 19, 2026. Trusts can start filing tax returns from September 20, 2025 until January 19, 2026. SARS has urged all taxpayers to prepare their documentation early, to check their assessments and to avoid last-minute submission of income tax returns. Submissions must comply with regulations and deadlines to avoid penalties. Taxpayers must ensure their banking details are correct and updated, enabling efficient processing of refunds. To change bank details, taxpayers should first check that their security contact details (email and cellphone number) are up to date on SARS eFiling. ALSO READ: Remember to keep children safe: Mpumalanga schools to close for second term soon What is an auto assessment? In line with SARS' strategic objective to make it easy for taxpayers to comply, those whose tax matters are less complicated are auto-assessed by SARS. Taxpayers who are auto-assessed do not have to file a tax return. Auto assessment is made possible by the availability of third-party data received from employers, financial institutions, retirement annuity 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. Taxpayers in the auto assessment category do not have to do anything if their assessments are correct. Taxpayers of the opinion that SARS has not captured all the necessary information are free to make changes on their tax returns and submit the missing information through eFiling by October 20. ALSO READ: Cold front to hit: Will Mbombela feel the cold snap? Taxpayers owed a refund will receive it within 72 hours of processing if all their information is correct. If they owe tax, they must pay SARS through their banks. They can access their auto assessments through any of SARS' channels – SARS MobiApp or e-Filing. Taxpayers should review and verify the completeness and accuracy of the information that resulted in the auto assessment. Those who are satisfied that the auto-assessment is correct do not have to do anything further. If the taxpayer finds that there is missing or inaccurate information pertaining to income or expenses, which may have affected the outcome, it must be declared to SARS by submitting a tax return in the normal way. For assistance, the public can make use of any of the SARS channels: • SARS Website: visit and click on the 'individuals' tab • SARS MobiApp • The AI virtual assistant is available 24/7 on the SARS website to answer your queries • SARS Online Query System (SOQS): • SARS WhatsApp: send 'Hi' or 'Hello' to 0800 117 277 • Dial *134*7277# to access SARS services • SARS YouTube: visit @sarstax for how-to videos There is no need to visit a SARS branch. If you must, first make an appointment to avoid long queues. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Tax Season 2025: Here is everything you should know
Tax Season 2025: Here is everything you should know Pretoria residents can file their 2025 tax returns from July 7 until the October 20 deadline, with SARS auto-assessing simpler cases and notifying qualifying taxpayers by SMS or email. To make the most of local SARS support—whether you're auto-assessed or filing manually—ensure your documents, banking details and eFiling security contacts are up to date before you begin. According to SARS, taxpayers who are automatically assessed will begin to receive notifications in July. 'Taxpayers who do not receive notifications from SARS that they are automatically assessed, are encouraged to submit their tax returns in a timely and accurate manner from July 21 2025. 'The Filing Season will close on October 20 2025 for non-provisional individuals,' the revenue collector said in a statement on Monday. It urged taxpayers to start preparing documentation in advance and check their assessments 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. There is no need to do anything if your banking details and security contact details have not changed,' SARS said. It furthermore said it had identified a portion of provisional and non-provisional taxpayers for auto-assessment. The move is targeted at taxpayers who have one or more sources of income from formal and other forms of employment and 'whose tax affairs are not complicated'. The steps in the auto assessment process are as follows: • From July 7, 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. 'The process of automatic assessment is made possible by the availability of third-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.' SARS added that 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 to their tax returns and submit the missing information through eFiling by October 20, 2025. 'Where the taxpayer has a refund, they will receive it in 72 hours if all their information is correct. If the taxpayer owes the revenue collector, they must pay through their respective banks,' SARS said. Also read: Is there an outbreak of Staphylococcus in Pretoria? Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The Citizen
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
SARS announces July 7 start for 2025 tax returns
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has announced the start of the 2025 tax filing season, which, for non-provisional taxpayers, will run from July 7 to October 20. Provisional taxpayers and trusts have until January 19, 2026, to file their returns. This year's filing season again includes auto assessments, which apply to a large group of individual taxpayers whose tax affairs are relatively simple. These taxpayers will receive notifications via SMS or email between July 7 and 20. ALSO READ: SARS gets smarter: New express tabs Make eFiling easier The SARS encourages taxpayers to prepare their documents early and review their assessment results to avoid last-minute delays. Who will be auto-assessed? Taxpayers who receive income from one or more formal sources, such as employers, pension funds and medical aids, and whose tax matters are straightforward, may be selected for auto assessment. These assessments are made possible through third-party data submitted to the SARS by various institutions. Taxpayers in this group will not need to file a return unless they find discrepancies or missing information in their auto-assessed return. 'If taxpayers agree with the auto-assessment, no further action is required. If they do not, they can edit and submit a corrected return via eFiling or the SARS MobiApp by October 20,' the SARS stated. If a refund is due, the SARS will process it within 72 business hours, provided all information is accurate and banking details are correct. If tax is owed, payment must be made through the SARS' official channels, including eFiling, the SARS MobiApp, or bank deposits. ALSO READ: SARS urges employers to submit declarations by May 31 Filing dates for other taxpayers: • Taxpayers who do not receive auto-assessment notifications must file their returns between July 21 and October 20. These people typically have more complex tax affairs. • Provisional taxpayers and trusts will have a longer submission window running from July 21 to January 19, 2026. Key reminders from the SARS: • Ensure you update your banking and security contact details (email and mobile number) on eFiling; • Do not update your banking details if nothing has changed; • Access your assessment via eFiling, the SARS MobiApp or the official SARS channels. If you're unsure about your auto-assessment or return requirements, consult the SARS website or contact their support channels. ALSO READ: 2024 SARS tax season now open The SARS has improved support for this season, including: • enhanced online filing platforms; • extended customer service hours; • updated guidance on SARS's website and YouTube channel; • stronger data security protocols. The SARS urges taxpayers to comply with deadlines and ensure the accuracy of their information to avoid penalties. For enquiries, contact SARS through their interactive channels or on SARSMedia@ At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
