South Africans are looking to SARS for answers on whether they will need to file a return at all.
Image: Gemini
As tax season approaches and taxpayers scramble to understand whether they owe money or will receive a refund, many South Africans are looking to SARS for answers on whether they will need to file a return at all.
IOL previously reported that the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has confirmed the key dates for the 2026 tax filing season, with auto-assessments set to run between 1 and 12 July 2026 for selected taxpayers.
SARS will once again be rolling out its auto-assessment system for the 2026 filing season, which could see millions of taxpayers receive refunds without submitting a tax return.
The system uses information already provided by employers, banks, medical schemes and other institutions to calculate taxpayers’ positions automatically.
However, some taxpayers may not know whether they have been included in the process or if they will still be required to file a return themselves.
According to SARS, taxpayers who are selected for auto-assessment will receive an SMS or email notification between 1 and 12 July 2026.
"You can check your status online by visiting the SARS Online Query System (SOQS) and click “My Auto Assessment Status”.
The message will indicate whether a refund is due or if an amount is payable to SARS. If the information is correct, no action is required, and refunds will be paid directly into the taxpayer’s registered bank account.
However, those who are not selected for auto-assessment will need to submit their own income tax returns during the filing season, which opens on 13 July 2026 for non-provisional taxpayers.
The revenue service has also urged taxpayers to be cautious of scams during the tax season, warning that fraudsters often send fake SMS messages and emails pretending to be SARS in an attempt to obtain personal or banking details.
"You need to be aware of email and SMS scams. In the run up to Filing Season there will be many attempts from scammers to mimic what we do and try and get your personal details, or to pay money into an account. See the latest scams here".
"To report or to get more information on phishing, please send an email to [email protected].
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