22 October 2026 — The South African Revenue Service (SARS) urges non-provisional taxpayers with outstanding returns to file before the 2026 Filing Season closes this Friday, 23 October 2026.
By 30 September 2026, SARS had auto-assessed more than 6.9 million returns, a 20% increase on the previous year. SARS also extended Auto Assessments to certain provisional taxpayers for the first time. From 1 July to 19 October 2026, SARS paid refunds totalling R33 billion to 3 143 675 taxpayers. Of these refunds, 85% were paid within 72 hours, reaching over 3 million taxpayers.
For the 2026 Filing Season, SARS increased its use of verified third-party data, expanded Auto Assessments, and improved its eFiling platforms. It also enabled taxpayers to receive assessment notices and submit documents through WhatsApp, adding another digital channel for engaging with SARS.
SARS Commissioner Dr Johnstone Makhubu said: “Expanding Auto Assessments shows how better use of data can simplify taxpayers’ interactions with SARS. The speed of processing legitimate refunds is a key measure of effective tax administration.”
These improvements advance SARS’s strategic intent to encourage voluntary compliance by giving taxpayers clarity and certainty about their obligations. The aim is to make compliance easy and deliberate non-compliance difficult and costly.
“Tax administration goes beyond collecting what is lawfully due. Paying legitimate refunds efficiently is equally important to support taxpayers in a difficult economic environment and give them certainty. Our modernisation programme aims to improve both collection and refunds while safeguarding the integrity of the tax system,” Commissioner Makhubu said.
One Day Left to File
SARS urges taxpayers with outstanding returns to file now rather than wait until the last day. Returns can be submitted through SARS eFiling or the SARS MobiApp before the 23 October 2026 deadline.
Late submission of Personal Income Tax returns may attract a monthly administrative penalty of R250 to R16 000, depending on taxable income, until the return is submitted. Unpaid tax debt may also incur penalties and interest. Taxpayers unable to pay in full should contact SARS promptly to discuss payment arrangements rather than leave their obligations unaddressed.
The Commissioner thanked taxpayers who had met their Filing Season obligations and urged those with outstanding returns to file before the deadline.
“Every compliant taxpayer helps our country function and develop. We thank the millions who have fulfilled their obligations and urge those who still need to file to act now. Our digital platforms enable taxpayers to meet their obligations without visiting a SARS branch,” Commissioner Makhubu said.
For enquiries, contact [email protected].
