If you received a SARS auto assessment in July and something on it is wrong or missing, the deadline to file a corrected return is Friday 23 October 2026. Provisional taxpayers have until 22 January 2027. If everything on the assessment is correct, you do not need to do anything.
SARS filing season 2026 dates
| What | Date |
|---|---|
| Auto-assessment notices sent by SMS or email | 1 to 12 July 2026 |
| Filing opened for everyone else | 13 July 2026 |
| Deadline for non-provisional taxpayers | Friday 23 October 2026 |
| Trusts filing season | 19 September 2026 to 22 January 2027 |
| Deadline for provisional taxpayers | Friday 22 January 2027 |
The 2026 tax year covers income earned from 1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026.
What a SARS auto assessment is
A SARS auto assessment is an income tax assessment that SARS builds for you, without you filing anything, using data it already holds. That data comes from your employer’s IRP5, your medical scheme, your retirement fund, banks and other financial institutions.
If you did not receive a notification by 12 July 2026, you were not auto-assessed, and you have to complete and submit an income tax return yourself by the deadline that applies to you.
There is no accept button
SARS says to log in to eFiling or the SARS MobiApp and check whether all the information is correct. If it is correct, no further action is needed and no return has to be submitted.
So doing nothing is how you agree. That is convenient if the figures are right and risky if they are not. An assessment that shows a refund can still be wrong, because SARS can only calculate from the data it has been given. If income was never reported to SARS, it is not in the assessment, and the shortfall surfaces later.
How to check your auto assessment
Log in to eFiling or the SARS MobiApp yourself. Do not use a link in an SMS, email or WhatsApp message.
Compare every line against your own documents:
- your IRP5 or IT3(a) from each employer
- your medical scheme tax certificate
- your retirement annuity certificate
- interest certificates from your banks
- any rental, freelance or trade income you earned
If everything matches and nothing is missing, you are done.
When to file over it
If information is incorrect or missing, SARS says to add the missing details and submit the return through eFiling or the MobiApp before the deadline.
An auto assessment will not include costs only you know about, such as home office expenses, medical costs you paid yourself, travel claims against a travel allowance, rental income and expenses, or freelance income.
When you edit and resubmit, you file a full ITR12 that replaces the auto assessment. Make sure the return is complete before you submit it.
Refunds
For auto-assessed taxpayers, SARS says a refund is paid automatically into your bank account. If a refund has not arrived, the usual causes are outdated banking details, a verification request you have not answered, or an outstanding return from a previous year. Our guide to why a SARS refund has not been paid covers the checks.
Notices on WhatsApp, and scams
Auto-assessed taxpayers who do not use email or eFiling can now receive their notice of assessment (ITA34) on WhatsApp, and can check their auto-assessment status there too.
That also makes scam messages harder to spot. SARS never asks for passwords, one-time PINs, banking PINs or eFiling details by email, SMS or WhatsApp. Go to eFiling yourself rather than clicking through from a message.
If you still need to file
Our guide to tax season 2026 sets out the full filing process. If you have undeclared income from earlier years, read about the SARS voluntary disclosure programme before you file.
Where to check
The SARS filing season page lists the official dates. For a dispute or an unusual situation, speak to a registered tax practitioner.
HOW WE REPORTED THIS
- Read the SARS filing season page, last updated 21 September 2026, for the 1 to 12 July 2026 auto-assessment notices, the 13 July opening of filing, the 23 October 2026 deadline for non-provisional taxpayers, the 22 January 2027 deadline for provisional taxpayers, the trust filing season and the WhatsApp notice of assessment
- Used the same SARS page for its guidance that auto-assessed taxpayers check their assessment on eFiling or the MobiApp and that refunds are paid automatically
- Carried over SARS's published guidance on editing the return and on phishing messages from the earlier version of this guide
