What’s New at SARS

14 May 2025 – Achieving our Vision of a smart, modern SARS with unquestionable integrity that is trusted and admired is of paramount importance. Pivotal to the delivery of our vision are our digital platforms and technology infrastructure. To provide clarity and certainty, make it easy for taxpayers and traders to comply with their obligations and building public trust and confidence, our technology assets must demonstrate the highest levels of availability, robustness, and security.

In accordance with our Vision and Strategic Objectives, which include modernising our systems to provide Digital and Streamlined online services, we are hard at work ensuring that our digital platforms and technology infrastructure are available, robust, and secure, by performing regular upgrades, enhancements, and maintenance.

Considering the above, SARS Digital platform maintenance is scheduled for:

Friday, 16 May 2025 from 18h00 to 22h00,
Saturday, 17 May 2025 from 20h00 to 00h00.

During this time, you may experience intermittent service interruption on our eFiling, Tax and Customs Digital Platforms.

Responses (CUSRES messages) to transactions submitted during this time will be delayed, however, arrival and exit management functions are available at land border posts for all released declarations and manifests.
Stakeholders are therefore urged to submit all Goods Declarations (bills of entry) and Road Manifest, especially those deemed priority, by Saturday, 17 May 2025 @ 19h00.

14 May 2025 – The facility codes used in Box 30 on the Customs Clearance Declaration (CCD) have been updated to include details of the newly approved De-grouping Facilities – Ijubane Logistics (Pty) Ltd with code BU and Fusion Dispatch Center with code CD. Both are based at O.R. Tambo International Airport.

• SC-CF-19-A02 – Facilities Code List – External Annexure

14 May 2025 – We are delighted to announce that SARS is enhancing its services to make it easier for you to file Donations Tax and Withholding Tax on Royalties. You can now submit these declarations online through the SARS Online Query System (SOQS), available 24/7 on the SARS website.

SOQS is designed to simplify your tax affairs, allowing you to manage everything remotely without the need to visit our branches. This digital platform supports our strategic objective to modernise and digitise our services, making tax compliance more convenient for you. With SOQS, you can send queries, submit tax returns, manage declarations, and much more, all from the comfort of your home or office.

For more information on these tax products, please visit the Donations Tax or Withholding Tax on Royalties webpages.

12 May 2025 – The Western Cape mobile tax unit schedule for June 2025 is now available.

9 May 2025 – Customs and Excise Act, 1964: Publication details for tariffs amendments notices R6176, and R6177, as published in Government Gazette 52603 of 9 May 2025, are now available.

8 May 2025 – Customs and Excise Act, 1964: The tariffs amendments notices, scheduled for publication in the Government Gazette, relate to the following amendments:

• Part 5A of Schedule No. 1, by the substitution of the rate of fuel levy for item 195.20.03, to give effect to the Budget proposals announced by the Minister of Finance on 12 March 2025
• Part 1 of Schedule No. 1, by the substitution of tariff subheadings 1701.12, 1701.13, 1701.14, 1701.91, and 1701.99, to reduce the rate of customs duty on sugar from 377.35c/kg to 282.85c/kg in terms of the existing variable tariff formula (ITAC Minute 17/2024)

Publication details will be made available later

8 May 2025 – Achieving our Vision of a smart, modern SARS with unquestionable integrity that is trusted and admired is of paramount importance. Pivotal to the delivery of our vision are our digital platforms and technology infrastructure. To provide clarity and certainty, make it easy for taxpayers and traders to comply with their obligations and building public trust and confidence, our technology assets must demonstrate the highest levels of availability, robustness, and security.

In accordance with our Vision and Strategic Objectives, which include modernising our systems to provide Digital and Streamlined online services, we are hard at work ensuring that our digital platforms and technology infrastructure are available, robust, and secure, by performing regular upgrades, enhancements, and maintenance.

Considering the above, SARS Digital platform maintenance is scheduled for: Friday, 09 May 2025 from 18h00 to 22h00.

During this time, you may experience intermittent service interruption on our eFiling, Tax and Customs Digital Platforms.

5 May 2025 – The state provides state warehouses for the safekeeping of goods. These are managed by Customs. The purpose of this list of unentered goods is to notify the importer, exporter and any other person that has interest in the goods that the goods have been taken up into the State warehouse and if they remain unentered they will be disposed in accordance with the provisions of the Customs & Excise Act.

See the latest Customs Weekly List of Unentered Goods here.

2 May 2025 – Customs and Excise Act, 1964: Publication details for tariffs amendments notice R6164, R6165, and R6166, as published in Government Gazette 52576 of 2 May 2025, are now available.

1 May 2025 – Income Tax Act, 1962: Updated Tables of Interest Rates

• Table 1 – Interest rates on outstanding taxes and interest rates payable on certain refunds of tax
• Table 2 – Interest rates payable on credit amounts

30 April 2025 – Customs and Excise Act, 1964: The tariffs amendments notices, scheduled for publication in the Government Gazette, relate to the following amendments:

Up to and including 1 May 2026

• Part 3 of Schedule No. 2, by the insertion of various items under item 260.03, in order to implement safeguard measures on the importation of hot-rolled steel products classifiable under Chapter 72 at a rate of 13% (ITAC Report No. 740)

With effect from 2 May 2026 up to and including 1 May 2027

• Part 3 of Schedule No. 2, by the substitution of various items under item 260.03, in order to reduce the rate of safeguard measures on the importation of hot-rolled steel products classifiable under Chapter 72 from 13% to 11% (ITAC Report No. 740)

With effect from 2 May 2027 up to and including 1 May 2028

• Part 3 of Schedule No. 2, by the substitution of various items under item 260.03, in order to reduce the rate of safeguard measures on the importation of hot-rolled steel products classifiable under Chapter 72 from 11% to 9% (ITAC Report No. 740)

Publication details will be made available later

30 April 2025 – South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance surplus of R24.8 billion in March 2025. This surplus was attributable to exports of R172.5 billion and imports of R147.7 billion, inclusive of trade with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN).

Read the full Media Release here..

Or visit the Trade Statistics webpage.

30 April 2025 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS), in collaboration with the Revenue Service Lesotho (RSL), will be conducting Time Release Studies (TRS) at selected border posts during May and June 2025. These studies form part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the efficiency of cross-border trade and facilitating legitimate movement of goods and persons.

The TRS sessions are planned to take place as follows:

• • Maseru Bridge
    • Capacity Building: 05–09 May 2025
    • TRS Execution: 12–16 May 2025
  • Ficksburg Border Post
    • Capacity Building (without WCO handholding): 26–30 May 2025
    • TRS Execution: 02–06 June 2025

For more information, see the letter to stakeholders.

29 April 2025 – SARS invites you to tender for the goods and/or services as detailed in RFP42/2024. The conditions in the SARS Chain Management Policy and the Regulatory Framework which governs tenders at SARS are applicable to this tender process.

29 April 2025 – Taxpayers will now be able to submit Donations Tax (IT144) and Withholding Tax on Royalties (WTR01) declarations online through the SARS Online Query System (SOQS) via the SARS website. This platform streamlines tax declarations with automated systems and improved efficiency. Taxpayers can now manage their taxes from home or the office, 24/7, without having to visit a branch, thus enhancing tax compliance and easing the declaration process. See the Digital Channels webpage for more information or the new direct link to submit Donations Tax (IT144) and Withholding Tax on Royalties (WTR01) declarations.

27 April 2025 – The 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.

This is an important order that provides clarity to SARS to effectively and efficiently administer the VAT Act. It also has practical implication for consumers and VAT vendors charged with managing VAT. These are:

• The court’s order suspends the 0.5 percentage point increase that was originally announced to come into effect on 1 May 2015 and there is, therefore, no basis for VAT vendors to implement an increase of VAT rate.
• All vendors are urged to readjust their systems back to 15%.
• All consumers are urged to ensure that they are charged the correct VAT rate of 15%. In the unlikely event they are charged 15.5%, consumers should bring this to the attention of the vendor and ensure that this is resolved at the point of sale or otherwise by mutual agreement.

For further information, please contact [email protected].

27 April 2025 – As the 2025 filing season approaches, SARS requires taxpayers to ensure that their banking details are correct and updated. This ensures efficient processing of any refund that may be due.

If you need to change your bank information, you must first check that your security contact details (email and cell phone number) and SARS eFiling log-in details are up to date.

Please note: There is no need to act or make any changes if your banking details and security contact details are up to date.

Why Keeping Your Details Updated Matters

• Stay informed: receive important updates about your tax affairs immediately.
• Receive One-Time Pins (OTP): SARS will use your contact details (email or cell phone number) to send you an OTP.
  • Your OTP is the key to your eFiling account and for updating your banking details.
  • If your contact details are outdated, your OTP will not reach you, making it difficult for you to update or change your bank details.
• Secure your account: keep your log-in details current and protect your information

How to Update Your Information

To Update Your Security Contact Details (Required to receive OTPs)

1. Log in to eFiling (sarsefiling.co.za).
2. Click on “My Profile” in the menu on the left-hand side of the screen.
3. Select “Profile and Preference Setup” and scroll to the “Security Contact Details” section. Here, you can update your email address or cell phone number.
4. Verify with OTP: choose your preferred method of communication (email or SMS) to receive an OTP. Enter the OTP to confirm the changes.
5. Save changes: once the OTP is verified, your updated contact details will be saved.

To Update Your Banking Details Quickly

1. Log in to eFiling.
2. Click the express-access option: “Update My Personal Income Tax Bank Account”.
3. The Banking Details Update screen will be displayed.
4. Click “Maintain SARS Registered Details”.
5. Click the drop-down menu to select the bank name.
6. Fill in the branch code/branch name, account number, account type and account-holder name.
7. Click “Update Banking Details”.
8. Confirm the banking-details change with the OTP sent to your preferred method of communication.

Note: if both your email address and cell phone number have changed and you cannot follow the steps above, you will need to call the SARS Contact Centre (0800 00 7277) or visit a SARS branch to verify your identity. To avoid long queues, remember to book an appointment.

For more information view the below guides:

• IT-AE-36-G05 – Comprehensive Guide to the ITR12 Income Tax Return for Individuals – External Guide
• GEN-GEN-41-G01 – Change of Banking Details – External Guide
• IT-AE-36-G06 – Guide to submit your Individual Income Tax Return via eFiling – External Guide
• IT-AE-46-G01 – How to submit your Individual Income Tax return via the SARS MobiApp – External Guide

25 April 2025 – The North West tax workshop schedules for May 2025 are now available.

25 April 2025 – Customs and Excise Act, 1964: Publication details for tariffs amendments notices R6152, R6153, R6154, and R6155, as published in Government Gazette 52564 of 25 April 2025, are now available.