What to do if you haven't been auto-assessed

As Sars opens Filing Season 2026, millions of taxpayers will receive correspondence confirming that  their income tax return will not be automatically assessed this year. If you are among them, you are not  alone and you are certainly not in trouble. But you do need to act, and acting with professional guidance  is the smartest move you can make. 

Why you may not have been auto-assessed 

Sars auto-assesses taxpayers whose affairs are straightforward, typically salaried individuals whose  employer-submitted IRP5 data is complete and whose profile has no open issues. If your tax profile  includes any of the following, Sars will have excluded you from auto-assessment and you will need to  complete and file your own return: 

• Rental income, business income, or self-employment expenses 
• Commission income or income from foreign sources 
• Income from a trust 
• Allowances such as travel, subsistence, or tool-of-trade allowances 
• Additional deductible expenses you have previously claimed 
• Capital gains or disposals of assets 
• A change to your postal or physical address on the Sars system 
• Invalid or outdated banking details on your profile 
• An open audit, verification, or dispute case with Sars 
• Amendments you made to a previous auto-assessment 

In short, any complexity in your tax affairs, even something as routine as a home office deduction or a  rental property, is likely to take you out of the auto-assessment pool. That complexity is precisely why  professional help matters. 

What you need to do and why a practitioner makes all the difference

Your return must be filed no later than October 23, 2026 (for non-provisional taxpayers filing  electronically). While the steps are simple in principle, confirm your filing obligation; gather your  documentation; log in to eFiling or the Sars MobiApp; and submit. The detail is where errors creep in. 

A registered tax practitioner will ensure that your return is complete, that you claim every  deduction and exemption you are entitled to, and that your supporting documentation is in order  should Sars select your return for verification. Practitioners deal with Sars systems daily. They  understand the rules, the risks, and the remedies, and they are bound by a professional code of  conduct that protects you. 

Filing Season is not the time for guesswork. If Sars has told you that your return needs your attention,  give it the attention it deserves with a qualified professional at your side.

PERSONAL FINANCE