The Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) Edward Kieswetter said there’s no need for taxpayers to braze the winter cold by physically presenting themselves at various SARS branches when they can instead conduct their tax affairs digitally.
He reckons that this will also help them save transport fares and allow them to file in the comfort of their own homes.
Kieswetter’s comments come as the auto assessment for this year’s tax filing period got underway from the 7th of July and is expected to run until the 20th.
Despite encouraging taxpayers to use online platforms, in cases where they must go to a SARS branch, Kieswetter reminded them to first book an appointment to avoid long queues.
Furthermore, the filing period for non-provisional taxpayers is set between 21 July to 20 October 2025.
Provisional taxpayers’ filing window is scheduled to close on 19 January 2026.
Kieswetter implored taxpayers to be cautious and vigilant during this filing season.
“Scammers can present themselves as SARS officials to steal taxpayers’ personal details, make them click on links, or pay money into an account. SARS will never ask taxpayers to use any link. Taxpayers must protect their eFiling login details and use only registered tax practitioners,” said the Commissioner.
