Media Releases for 2025
For the Media release archive from 2007 to 2024, click here.
SARS welcomes court order relating to the VAT rate originally announced to come into effect on 1 May 2025
Published Date: 27/04/2025The Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service (SARS), Mr Edward Kieswetter, welcomes the agreement between the parties and court order in the matter relating to the 0.5 percentage point increase in value-added tax (VAT) that was originally announced to come into effect on 1 May 2025, along with other matters.
Practical implication on Finance Minister’s decision to reverse VAT
Published Date: 25/04/2025The Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service (SARS), Mr. Edward Kieswetter has noted the Finance Minister, Mr. Enoch Godongwana’s decision to reverse the planned 0.5% VAT rate increase, which was initially set to take effect on 1 May 2025. This decision has significant practical implications for VAT vendors and consumers. As the administrator of all national government tax measures, SARS will ensure that the necessary adjustments are made to accommodate this change.
Employer filing season 2025
Published Date: 24/04/2025The Employer Annual Declaration process is the most important step that precedes the Personal Income Tax (PIT) Filing Season, which takes place later in the year. The information gathered during the Employer Annual Declaration period, the monthly declaration in EMP201 and reconciliation in EMP501 aids SARS to issue taxpayers with accurate auto-assessed or pre-populated Income Tax Return (ITR12). Incomplete or incorrect information will make it difficult for employees to fulfil their tax obligations.
SARS signed collaboration agreements with DHA, BMA & GPW
Published Date: 03/04/2025The South African Revenue Service (SARS), together with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), Border Management Authority (BMA), and Government Printing Works (GPW), took a giant step today to foster stronger and more integrated collaboration by signing cooperative agreement on modernisation and digitisation. A direct agreement was undertaken between SARS and DHA, which created a broad framework of collaboration between the parties.
SARS is committed to serving South Africans
Published Date: 01/04/2025By the end of March 2025, SARS had collected a record gross amount of R2.303 trillion, representing year-on-year growth of 6.9% against estimated nominal GDP growth of 5.4% (2024/2025). In this difficult economic environment, SARS paid refunds of R447.7 billion to taxpayers, the highest-ever amount in refunds (versus R413.9 billion in the prior year), representing growth of 8.2%. This brings the collected net amount to R1.855 trillion, which is almost R8.8 billion higher than the revised estimate, and R114.0 billion more than last year’s R1.741 trillion.
Trade Statistics for February 2025
Published Date: 31/03/2025South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance surplus of R20.9 billion in February 2025. This surplus was attributable to exports of R164.0 billion and imports of R143.1 billion.
SARS accepts the Revenue Estimate Set for the 2024/25 Fiscal Year
Published Date: 12/03/2025Mr. Edward Kieswetter, the Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service (SARS), remain confident in accepting the revised revenue estimate presented by Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana.
Trade Statistics for January 2025
Published Date: 28/02/2025South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance deficit of R16.4 billion in January 2025. This deficit was attributable to exports of R149.0 billion and imports of R165.4 billion.
The judgement reaffirms the constitutionality of the Tax Administration Act
Published Date: 14/02/2025The Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service (SARS), Mr Edward Kieswetter welcomed the judgement delivered on 12 February 2025 in the matter between Greyvensteyn v Commissioner for SARS and Others.
Media statement on Project Laduma
Published Date: 07/02/2025More than 2 million taxpayers withdraw from their savings pot
Published Date: 31/01/2025The South African Revenue Service (SARS) wishes to announce that to date it has received 2,664 279 applications for tax directives for withdrawals from the Savings Withdrawal Benefit of the two-pot system. Of the total number of applications, 2 403 379 tax directives were approved for funds to be released. The remainder were declined for a variety of reasons, including incorrect Identity Numbers, incorrect tax numbers, amongst others.
Preliminary figures on 2024-2025 Filing Season
Published Date: 31/01/2025he South African Revenue Service (SARS) thanks provisional taxpayers and Trusts for filing their annual Income Tax Returns for the 2024 tax year.
The filing season for provisional taxpayers and trusts closed on the 20th January 2025. There overall picture of provisional, trusts and non-provisional taxpayers is the following.
Trade Statistics for December 2024
Published Date: 31/01/2025South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance surplus of R15.5 billion in December 2024. This surplus was attributable to exports of R160.0 billion and imports of R144.6 billion, inclusive of trade with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN).
Annual filing deadline for provisional taxpayers and trusts, is 20 January 2025
Published Date: 17/01/2025The deadline for Trusts and individual taxpayers who are provisional taxpayers to file their annual income tax returns for the 2024 tax year, is Monday, 20 January 2025.
Temporary suspension of operations at Grobler’s Bridge due high rainfall water levels
Published Date: 15/01/2025The Commissioner of the Border Management Authority, Dr Michael Masiapato wishes to inform all travellers, transport operators, and stakeholders that operations at Grobler’s Bridge Port of Entry have been temporarily suspended due to adverse conditions caused by high water levels as a result of the rainfall.
