Taxpayers who are unsure whether they were assessed can quickly check their status using the revenue service’s WhatsApp channel
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With SARS’ Auto Assessment period now over, taxpayers who are unsure whether they were assessed can quickly check their status using the revenue service’s WhatsApp channel.
IOL previously reported that the auto-assessment period for South African taxpayers has come to an end, and those who still need to submit their income tax returns can now make use of the SARS MobiApp to complete the process.
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) had said the auto-assessment period would run from July 1 to July 12, 2026, with taxpayers selected for auto-assessment receiving notifications to review their pre-populated tax information through eFiling or the SARS MobiApp.
The revenue service confirmed that during the opening days of the filing season, around 1.9 million taxpayers were auto-assessed, with about R8 billion in tax refunds paid out within 72 hours.
Taxpayers can check their Auto Assessment status on WhatsApp by following these steps:
You can use WhatsApp to check whether SARS has selected you for auto assessment during filing season. To access SARS via WhatsApp, you must save the SARS WhatsApp number, 0800-11-7277, on your contact list and then commence to contact SARS.
Follow these steps:
Once your details are verified, SARS will display your auto assessment status in the WhatsApp chat.
SARS also warned that taxpayers trying to access eFiling may experience delays due to high traffic on the platform.
"To manage high traffic on eFiling, at times, you will have to wait for full access to the site. While you wait, you can view your Auto Assessment information in read-only mode and access limited eFiling features. You will gain full access once the traffic subsides. This option is only available to individual eFiling users"
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