BONUS - RUSTENBURG - Tax filing season is around the corner and South Africans are expected to square up their affairs with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) from 7 July to 20 October 2025.
According to SARS, taxpayers who are automatically assessed will begin to receive notifications from 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 21 July 2025.
The steps in the auto assessment process are as follows:
• From the 7th of 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 are encouraged not to visit to our branches but use our digital channels, namely eFiling, SARS mobiapp to transact with SARS. If it is unavoidable, please book an appointment. Together, let’s ensure a smooth and efficient filing season,” SARS concluded.
