As the 2026 tax filing season gets underway, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has announced a range of digital tools to improve the taxpayer experience, with millions of South Africans being auto-assessed.
In a statement on Thursday, SARS said the enhancements are designed to make tax compliance simpler, faster and more secure for millions of taxpayers.
“As at the end of 1 July 2026, more than 1.9 million taxpayers were auto-assessed, with about R8 billion refunds paid out in 72 hours.
“The improvements form part of SARS’s commitment to excellent service and its vision to build a smart, modern SARS with unquestionable integrity. SARS aims to give clarity and certainty, and to make it easy for taxpayers to comply with their obligations,” the revenue collector said.
SARS added that enhancements aim to “create a seamless end-to-end filing experience that covers every stage of the taxpayer journey”.
“The improvements are expected to reduce administrative burdens, shorten turnaround times, and improve taxpayer satisfaction.
“SARS expects more than six million taxpayers to receive Auto Assessments this year. By using information from employers, banks, medical schemes, retirement funds, and other third-party providers, SARS can pre-populate returns and significantly reduce the information taxpayers need to capture themselves.
“Taxpayers selected for Auto Assessment between 1 and 12 July 2026 should not rush to SARS Service Centres. Instead, they should wait for official SARS communication and review their assessments through eFiling, the SARS MobiApp, or other authorised digital channels,” the revenue service said.
Key enhancements introduced include:
- More accurate Auto Assessments driven by expanded third-party data sources.
- Expanded digital self-service capabilities through eFiling, SARS MobiApp, and SARS Online Query System.
- Enhanced profile security through biometric authentication, two-factor authentication, and device-level security controls.
- Expanded support through the Lwazi AI virtual assistant.
- The ability to upload supporting documents through WhatsApp.
- Delivery of Notices of Assessment and Statements of Account through WhatsApp and other digital channels.
- Improved integration of taxpayer information and enhanced pre-population of returns.
- SARS has created necessary capacity to cater for increased volumes of taxpayers interacting with it through the various channels
“Our goal is to make compliance effortless for honest taxpayers. Every enhancement introduced this Filing Season is designed to improve service, reduce complexity, and give taxpayers greater confidence when engaging with SARS.
“We want taxpayers to spend less time dealing with administration and more time benefiting from our modern digital services,” SARS Commissioner Dr Johnstone Makhubu said.
The Commissioner warned that although security systems have been bolstered, taxpayers should remain vigilant against scams and criminality.
“Taxpayers should be cautious of anyone who guarantees a refund or requests sensitive information without proper verification. Protecting personal information remains a shared responsibility between SARS and taxpayers.
“Filing Season 2026 demonstrates the progress SARS continues to make in modernising tax administration and improving the taxpayer experience.
“Through enhanced Auto Assessments, stronger digital platforms, improved security, expanded self-service channels, and innovative solutions such as WhatsApp functionality, we are making compliance easier than ever before,” Makhubu said. – SAnews.gov.za
