Guide to Change of Banking Details

1 Summary

The purpose of this guide is to assist individual taxpayers/representative taxpayers/employers/representative employers/VAT vendors/representative vendors and tax practitioners to understand their obligations when they need to change banking details at the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

This guide prescribes all the legal requirements and the manner in which a taxpayer can request a change in banking details.

This guide in its design, development, implementation and review phases is guided and underpinned by the SARS values, code of conduct and the applicable legislation. Should any aspect of this guide be in conflict with the applicable legislation the legislation will take precedence.  

2 Introduction

Due to the immediate risk associated with the change of banking details and refunds being paid into incorrect bank accounts causing a revenue loss to SARS and unsuspecting taxpayers, it was decided to identify possible verification methods to eliminate fraud and streamline the process.

• Change of bank details can be requested via one of the following channels:
  • On eFiling, by completing the Registration, Amendment and Verification form (RAV01) in the SARS Registered Details tab, Maintain SARS Registered Details menu;
  • For Personal Income Tax, individuals may change banking details when completing and submitting an individual Income Tax Return (ITR12);
  • SARS Mobile Tax units;
  • Via email for Exceptional Circumstances Only; and
  • “In Person” at a SARS branch, where it is impossible for the requestor to use electronic means (you may be required to make an appointment).

• SARS will under no circumstances accept a request for change of banking details, if the request is received via:
  • Telephone,
  • Facsimile,
  • Post.

• Taxpayers’ bank account details must comply with the following:
  • It must either be a South African cheque, savings or transmission account
  • The account must be in the name of the taxpayer.
• Credit card, bond and foreign bank accounts are not permitted.
• The change of banking details can be requested by:
  • Requestor with mandate: Personal Assistant/Clerk/Administrative officer to the tax practitioner, tax consultant, Director, Fund Administrator, Secretary, Attorney, Advocate, Legal Advisor, Auditor, Bookkeeper; etc. A requestor with a once off mandate will not be able to change banking details on eFiling if he/she is not linked to a tax practitioner on eFiling.
  • Representative: A representative must be a natural person, e.g. Treasurer, Partner, Public Officer, Member, Accounting officer, Curator, Liquidator, Executor, Director Executor, etc. that has been registered as the official representative of a legal entity (such as a company) on the SARS system.
  • Tax Practitioner: is a person registered with a controlling body and The person is assigned with a unique identification number (A SARS allocated PR number). Tax practitioners will still be required to present a valid POA if they act on behalf of an entity. Tax Practitioners that currently have active eFiling profiles for the represented entity will still have access to represented entity services.
• The requestor with mandate can change banking details only for exceptional circumstances.
• Exceptional circumstances under which SARS will allow a request for change of banking details to be done by a person who is not the account holder and who has power of attorney or other proof (e.g. letter of authority) are:
  • Any estate
  • Where the taxpayer is incapacitated / terminally ill
  • Where the taxpayer is a non-resident (emigrant, expatriate, foreigner or SA citizen temporarily outside the Republic)
  • Where the taxpayer is imprisoned
  • Where a trustee is appointed to act on behalf of an insolvent individual and/or trust
  • Where the taxpayer is a minor child
  • Shared Account (Spouse’s Account)
  • Life Partner’s bank account (for Income Tax)
  • Income below tax threshold/Impractical
  • Where distance of the taxpayer from the SARS branch is more than 200km.
• Any person who is granted a power of attorney can enquire, complete and sign the necessary tax returns or other documents regarding the taxpayer’s tax affairs. The appointed person with a POA must therefore submit the taxpayer’s bank statement as well as the other required supporting documents.
• If the taxpayer is coded as a deceased estate, only the person appointed by the Master of the High Court with the letter of Authority or letter of Executorship can request the changes. However, authority can be delegated to a registered tax practitioner or an agent to act on behalf of the executor. The tax practitioner or agent must have POA from the executor and all required supporting documents for the change of banking details and authenticating the tax practitioner or agent.
  • An agent may include an attorney, auditor or trust company which in turn may nominate an employee to administer the estate. The nominated employee is required to present a Power of Attorney to act on behalf of the executor.
• The SARS Power of Attorney form is available here.
• In the case where SARS does not have valid banking details and have valid cell phone numbers and/or email addresses for taxpayers; notifications will be sent to taxpayers/representative taxpayers via SMS or email to submit valid banking details and the relevant supporting documents to SARS.

3 Corporate Saver Type of Accounts  

• The corporate saver type of accounts must be accepted in all cases, excluding VAT.
• The type of product and account type for the following banks are as follows:
  • Investec – Corporate Cash Manager (CCM) – Current
  • Nedbank – Corporate Saver – Savings
  • Standard Bank- Third Party Fund Administration Account- Current.

Note: SARS will be in discussions with all other banks in order to determine which Corporate Saver/Cash management products they offer in order to ensure that we can accommodate all banks.

4 Required Supporting Documentation to request or verify banking details

• The requestor submitting the supporting documents for verification of bank details electronically must ensure:
  • Verification of bank details:
    • The requestor submitting the supporting documents electronically must provide an image of himself/herself holding their proof of identity, as well as a written note containing the case number and the date on which the documents are uploaded to SARS. It is important that the requestor’s face, proof of identity and the note are clearly visible in the same picture. For an example of the type of image required, click here.
  • Request for changing bank details (exceptional circumstances):
    • The requestor submitting the supporting documents electronically must provide an image of himself/herself holding their proof of identity, as well as a written note, titled “Update my Details” and the date on which the documents are uploaded to SARS. It is important that the requestor’s face, proof of identity and the note are clearly visible in the same picture. For an example of the type of image required, click here.
  • In the instance where supporting documents is required for a request to change bank details is received in exceptional circumstances (listed above) along with an image of himself/herself holding their proof of identity; or
  • In the instance where SARS needs the requestor to verify bank details in which case SARS would initiate a letter with a case number and an image of himself/herself holding their proof of identity, as well as a written note containing the case number and the date on which the documents are uploaded to SARS would be required.

• It is important that the requestor’s face, proof of identity and the note are clearly visible in the same picture. For an example of the type of image required, click here.
• When SARS verifies your bank details and require you to submit supporting documents, you may submit via the following online channels:
  • eFiling (preferred channel), for registered eFilers; and
  • Supporting Document Submission System function on the SARS website, click here.

• For more information, see the Adding or changing banking details webpage and the list of supporting documents needed for changing banking details.

5 Estates

• Change of banking details for a deceased taxpayer can only be effected once the case has been coded as a “deceased estate”. Executors are therefore urged to wait for a letter from SARS confirming the taxpayers’ status change before attempting to change the banking details.
• For second registration purposes of taxpayers who passed away on or after 1 March 2016, the bank details used in the first registration can be re–used in the second registration unless the Representative requires an update to it. The deceased estate banking details may not be of the deceased taxpayer but in the banking details of the estate.
• Where more than one executor has been appointed by the Master of the High Court and one executor has been nominated by the co-executor/s to represent the taxpayer, a completed and signed SARS Power of Attorney (POA) form is acceptable. The executor must submit SARS POA form together with the above listed documents.
• A registered Administrator of Estates can effect changes to banking details for a taxpayer with an insolvent estate by submitting a SARS POA form (completed and signed by the trustee) together with the above listed documents irrespective of the value of the estate.
• In the case of a section 18(3) estate where the surviving spouse presents the letter of authority, the banking details can be changed to those of the surviving spouse provided that all the above supporting documents are available.

6 Third Party Bank account

• In the case of a non-resident company or a subsidiary or holding company as defined in section 1 of the Companies Act No.71 of 2008, the following additional documents must be provided where a third party bank account is used:
  • If the company is a non-resident company of the Republic:
    • Indemnity form VAT119i
    • Copy of the Memorandum of Incorporation or similar document issued indicating the country of issue
    • Copy of a letter of appointment of a representative vendor
    • A copy of a valid identity document, drivers lisence, passport, temporary identity document, including the original identification of the authorised signatory of a nominated bank account (for those visiting a SARS office)

• If a company is a subsidiary company of a holding company and a holding company’s bank account is used or vice versa:
  • Indemnity form VAT119i
  • Copy of a letter from the Public Officer confirming the group structure
  • Copy of a letter of appointment of representative vendor/representative taxpayer
  • A copy of a valid identity document, drivers lisence, passport, temporary identity document, including the original identification of the authorised signatory of a nominated bank account (for those visiting a SARS office)

• Where the letter named above is not in one of the official South African languages, SARS will request for a translation in writing (e.g. a letter will be issued).

7 Definitions, acronyms and abbreviations

The definitions, acronyms and abbreviations can be accessed here – Glossary webpage.

8 Legal Disclaimer

In the event of conflict or inconsistency between this webpage and the PDF version of the guide, the latter shall prevail.