Every year, thousands of South Africans leave money with SARS that’s actually theirs.
Filing a SARS tax return correctly is often the only thing standing between you and that refund. It sounds like paperwork. It’s really just claiming what you’re owed.
Here’s what’s changed for this filing season, whether you even need to submit, and how to get your money back once you do.
Let’s begin.
SARS tax returns
Here’s a quick breakdown of SARS’ tax return timelines.
| What happens… | When it happens… |
|---|---|
| Auto-assessment notices | 1–12 July 2026 |
| Non-provisional filing | 13 July – 23 October 2026 |
| Provisional filing | 13 July 2026 – 22 January 2027 |
What is a tax return?
A tax return is the annual form South African taxpayers submit to SARS declaring their income, deductions, and rebates for a specific tax year. SARS uses it to work out whether the taxpayer owes more tax or is owed a refund.
Basically, it’s how you settle up with SARS: what you earned, what you can claim, and what’s left over either way.
People often use “return”, “rebate”, and “refund” as if they mean the same thing. They don’t:
- Tax return: the form you submit (the ITR12), declaring your income and claims.
- Tax rebate: a fixed amount subtracted from the tax you owe, based on your age.
- Tax refund: the money SARS pays back if you’ve overpaid during the year.
Now, let’s see from whom SARS expects a tax return.
Who needs to submit a tax return?
Taxpayers who earn income above SARS’ exemption of R500,000 per year from a single employer, earn income from more than one source, such as other business or rental income, earn income from outside South Africa, or have deductions or other circumstances that require a return. Taxpayers who earn R500,000 or less from a single employer, with PAYE correctly deducted, and who meet SARS’s other exemption conditions, may not need to file.
A return is mandatory if any of the following apply:
- The taxpayer earns foreign income
- The taxpayer has deductions or rebates to claim (medical expenses, retirement annuity contributions, donations, etc.)
- The taxpayer has capital gains or losses during the year of assessment
- The taxpayer is privy to untaxed benefits (such as a travel allowance or a company car)
- The taxpayer earns interest income above the exemption (more than R23,800 a year if you’re under 65, or R34,500 if you’re 65 or older)
Not sure whether any of this applies to you? SARS runs its own quick questionnaire to help you check.
By now, it should be clear that whether you’re expecting a refund or not, filing is worth doing anyway.
If you’re not sure whether you need to file, file anyway. It costs nothing and closes the risk for good.
How to submit a tax return
To submit a SARS tax return, visit www.sars.gov.za and use the eFiling portal, use the SARS MobiApp, or submit it at a SARS branch. If SARS auto-assesses you instead, no manual submission is needed at all, unless you need to correct something, in which case the same channels apply.
SARS auto-assesses taxpayers whose employer, medical aid, and other third-party data are already complete, issuing an assessment automatically instead of requiring a manual submission. Taxpayers who agree with the assessment don’t need to do anything unless something is wrong; they have to file a corrected return.
Taxpayers who aren’t auto-assessed have four options to complete a manual filing: eFiling, the SARS MobiApp, a SARS branch, or relying on a tax practitioner to file it on their behalf.
1. eFiling: Register at SARS eFiling with your ID number, banking details, and contact details. Your return (the ITR12) then sits under the Returns tab, ready to complete using your supporting documents, and Help-You-eFile connects you to a SARS consultant by phone if you get stuck.
2. SARS MobiApp: Download the SARS MobiApp free from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, log in with your eFiling details, and complete your return from your phone, photos and all.
3. A SARS branch: Book an appointment through the SARS Contact Centre on 0800 00 7277 or online, then bring your IRP5/IT3(a), medical certificates, and retirement annuity certificates so an agent can help you file in person.
4. A tax practitioner or accountant: Hand your return to a SARS-registered tax practitioner or accounting firm; it’s worth it if your affairs are complex: a small business, multiple income sources, or deductions you’re not confident in claiming yourself. Confirm they’re actually registered before you pay for anything.
So if you’re in a rush for a refund, plan ahead. Filing early means less time in the queue behind everyone else.
Pay less each month while paying off your debt so you can cover other expenses.
What deductions and rebates can I claim?
Deductions reduce the taxable income before tax is calculated, while rebates are fixed amounts that are subtracted directly from the tax owed rather than from the taxable income.
For the 2026 tax year, every taxpayer gets a primary rebate of R17,235. Taxpayers 65 and older get an additional secondary rebate of R9,444, and those 75 and older get a further tertiary rebate of R3,145.
This is subtracted automatically for everyone. Whereas deductions must be submitted and require proof.
Deductions include medical expenses, retirement annuity contributions, donations, travel expenses, and home office expenses.
Medical expenses
Claim the medical scheme fees tax credit for you and your dependants: R364 a month for the main member, R364 for the first dependant, and R246 for each additional dependant this season, rising to R376, R376, and R254 from 1 March 2026. You can also claim qualifying out-of-pocket medical expenses your scheme didn’t cover.
Retirement annuity contributions
Deduct contributions to a retirement annuity fund, up to the lesser of 27.5% of your taxable income or R350,000 a year, with any excess carried forward. Planning ahead, that cap rises to R430,000 for contributions made from 1 March 2026.
Donations
Claim up to 10% of your taxable income for donations to a registered public benefit organisation with a section 18A certificate. From 1 March 2026, those receipts need to carry more detail (fuller donor information, a description of any in-kind donation, and a unique receipt number), so ask your PBO for an updated receipt if you’re donating regularly.
Travel expenses
Claim a deduction for business travel using a logbook and the rates SARS publishes each year, based on your vehicle’s value and the business kilometres you’ve travelled.
Home office expenses
If you already work from home, or you’re weighing up starting a home-based income stream of your own, you could claim part of your home office costs. That includes a portion of your rent, interest on your mortgage, rates, electricity, and other running costs, based on your office’s floor area.
- Commission-based employees qualify if more than 50% of their income is commission or performance-based pay.
- Salary-only employees qualify if more than 50% of their duties are performed from home.
Either way, you’ll need a dedicated space used exclusively and regularly for work.
That covers deductions and rebates. But what about refunds? That’s next.
*The calculation is an estimate actual amounts may vary.
Try our debt reduction calculator to find out how much of your monthly debt costs can be reduced*.
Frequently asked questions
How to get your money back from SARS
SARS pays refunds when assessed returns show a refund is due. Refunds are automatically paid out directly to the bank account in the taxpayer’s profile once banking details are confirmed. There’s no need for a separate claim or application. Thereafter, payouts may reflect in as little as 72 hours, unless additional verification adds delays. This could be up to 21 business days or up to 90 days in the case of a full audit.
Make sure SARS has your correct banking details before you file your assessment. You can update them on eFiling or the MobiApp under Maintain Taxpayer Registered Particulars. Once your return is assessed, you’ll get an assessment notice (an ITA34) showing exactly what you owe or are owed, viewable under Returns History.
If you disagree with your assessment, or your refund is taking longer than expected, query it through eFiling, the MobiApp, or the SARS Contact Centre on 0800 00 7277.
Pro-tip: If you have lots of debt and get a refund from SARS, try using the money to pay off some of the outstanding debt. It can help reduce how much debt you owe each month.
How to check your tax return status
Check your SARS tax return status through eFiling or the MobiApp, where your return’s work page shows “In Progress” and then “Filed”. SARS also runs a dedicated Tax Return Status Dashboard, and its WhatsApp line offers a return and refund status option in its service menu.
- eFiling or MobiApp: your return’s work page updates from “In Progress” to “Filed” as SARS processes it.
- SOQS Tax Return Status Dashboard: a standalone SARS tool for checking status without logging into eFiling.
- WhatsApp: message 0800 11 7277 (any text opens the menu) and select Return Refund Status, Audit Status, Statement of Account, or Notice of Assessment.
All three sit within SARS’s own digital channels, so pick whichever is easiest for you.
How to check your SARS balance
Check your SARS balance by viewing your Statement of Account (ITSA) on eFiling or the MobiApp, or via SMS, USSD, or WhatsApp without logging in at all. All four channels draw from the same SARS records, so pick whichever is most convenient.
- Statement of Account (ITSA): on eFiling under Account > Statement of Account, or the same menu on the MobiApp.
- SMS: text “Balance [your ID number]” to 47277.
- USSD: dial 1347277# and select the account balance option.
- WhatsApp: message 0800 11 7277 and choose Statement of Account from the menu.
The fastest way is SMS: text “Balance [ID number]” to 47277.
Pretty handy, right?
Final thoughts
There you have it: who needs to submit a tax return, how to submit a return, how to check your balance, and how refunds work.
Filing correctly isn’t complicated. It’s detailed work: claim what you’re entitled to, keep your banking details current, and file before the deadline even if you’re not expecting a refund.
And remember, the penalty for not filing costs more than the admin of doing it. File anyway.
By the way, tax season has a way of reminding us where we’re at financially. If you feel that you have too much debt in your name, and want to take care of it—talk to our team at My Debt Hero. We specialise in helping South Africans lower and pay off their debt.
