SARS Deadline: File Your Tax Return by Friday, Oct. 23
The deadline to file your 2026 income tax return with SARS is Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, if you are a non-provisional taxpayer, which covers most people who earn a regular salary. Provisional taxpayers and trusts have until Friday, Jan. 22, 2027, the South African Revenue Service says (SARS). SARS has urged taxpayers to file as soon as possible to avoid penalties (Briefly).
If SARS sent you an auto-assessment and you agree with it, you do not need to do anything more, and any refund is paid into your bank account, SARS says (SARS). If you were not auto-assessed, you must submit your return yourself by Oct. 23.
SARS filing season 2026: the dates
| Who | SARS filing window |
|---|---|
| Auto-assessed taxpayers | July 1 to 12 (SARS sent the assessments) |
| Non-provisional individuals | July 13 to Fri. Oct. 23, 2026 |
| Provisional taxpayers | July 13, 2026 to Fri. Jan. 22, 2027 |
| Trusts | Sept. 19, 2026 to Fri. Jan. 22, 2027 |
| Employers (interim filing season) | Sept. 21 to Oct. 31, 2026 |
The dates are from SARS's filing season page. The return covers the 2026 year of assessment, which ran from March 1, 2025 to Feb. 28, 2026. EWN reported that SARS expected to issue about six million auto-assessments this year.
Are you a non-provisional taxpayer?
- Non-provisional: typically a person who earns a regular salary or wage from an employer and whose PAYE tax is deducted through the year, SARS says. These taxpayers usually have simple tax affairs, and they are either auto-assessed or submit a return once during filing season.
- Provisional: someone who earns income on top of a salary or from another source, such as a business, freelance work, investments or rental income. Provisional taxpayers pay tax in advance, usually in two or more instalments, based on estimated income.
Not sure whether you must file at all? SARS has a short questionnaire, Do you need to submit a return?, and says that if you are uncertain you should file a return. SARS's page on personal income tax gives the thresholds below, the amounts above which income tax becomes payable.
| You pay income tax if you earn more than | 2026 tax year (Mar. 1, 2025 to Feb. 28, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Under 65 | R95,750 |
| Aged 65 to 74 | R148,217 |
| Aged 75 and older | R165,689 |
How to file your return
- Online: use SARS eFiling or the SARS MobiApp, and file within the filing season deadlines. You can register for eFiling online (SARS).
- In person: if you have no choice but to visit a SARS service centre, book an appointment first (SARS appointments).
- WhatsApp: you can get your notice of assessment and statement of account, and upload supporting documents, through SARS's WhatsApp channel.
- Phone: the SARS Contact Centre is on 0800 00 7277, from 8 am to 4 pm on weekdays (SARS).
This year's return has more pre-filled information, simpler questions, a drop-down list of approved medical schemes and clearer prompts on tax residency. A new declaration questionnaire tries to settle queries before a return is sent for verification (SARS).
What happens if you file late?
SARS charges a fixed-amount administrative penalty for failing to submit a return. It is based on your taxable income and ranges from R250 up to R16,000 for each month the non-compliance continues, SARS says. Submitting the outstanding return stops the monthly penalty (SARS). You can check your own penalty notice on your eFiling profile.
Refunds
As at the end of July 1, more than 1.9 million taxpayers had been auto-assessed and about R8 billion in refunds had been paid out within 72 hours, SARS said when filing season opened (SARS media releases). SARS says refunds can be paid within 72 hours when your information is correct and no verification is needed (EWN).
Beware of SARS scams
SARS will never ask for your passwords, one-time pins (OTPs), banking PINs or eFiling login details by email, SMS, social media or phone, and you should verify a tax practitioner before sharing personal information, SARS warns. See SARS's page on scams and phishing.
Dates, penalties and thresholds are from SARS's website. We checked its filing season page again on Oct. 17, 2026, and it still lists Friday, Oct. 23 for non-provisional individuals and no extension. Check SARS for any change before the deadline.
