Following its recent gazetting of an important notice setting out the filing deadlines and categories of taxpayers required to submit income tax returns for the 2026 year of assessment, the South African Revenue Service (‘SARS’) has also confirmed the auto-assessment period.
When must taxpayers submit their returns?
The filing deadlines for both provisional and non-provisional taxpayers are as follows:
- Non-provisional individual taxpayers must submit their returns from 13th July to 23rd October 2026.
- Provisional taxpayers have until 22nd January 2027 to file.
- Trusts are also required to submit their returns by no later than 22nd January 2027.
- Auto-assessments will take place between 1st July and 12th July 2026.
- Companies generally have 12 months after their financial year-end to submit returns.
Which categories of taxpayers are required to submit?
The notice sets out detailed categories of taxpayers required to file, including:
- Taxpayers with capital gains or assessed capital losses exceeding R40 000 (the annual exclusion threshold was increased to R50 000 with effect from 1st March 2026);
- Taxpayers holding foreign assets exceeding R250 000 during the year of assessment;
- Taxpayers earning foreign income;
- Individuals conducting business activities; and
- Individuals who exceed the prescribed income thresholds.
The notice also provides exemptions for certain salaried employees and taxpayers with relatively simple tax affairs. However, taxpayers should not assume they are exempt without verifying their position with SARS. Where SARS has issued a request to file or reflects an outstanding return, administrative penalties may apply for non-submission.
How SARS has streamlined tax return filing
A notable feature of the 2026 filing framework is SARS’ continued move toward digital tax administration. The notice confirms that companies must submit returns electronically through SARS eFiling, while individuals and trusts are largely required to use eFiling or SARS-assisted electronic submission channels. While SARS may still permit alternative submission methods in limited circumstances, the 2026 framework strongly favours the electronic filing of tax returns.
To that end, SARS’ digital upgrades aim to enhance and streamline the filing process in the following ways:
- More pre-filled data on tax returns means less manual capturing;
- The form now contains clearer wording and fewer repetitive questions;
- Improved guidance on residency status reporting and the addition of a dropdown list of approved medical aid schemes eliminates errors;
- An updated Income Tax Return (ITR12) provides improved navigation and quicker access to assessment notices;
- Expanded WhatsApp utility means taxpayers will now receive their Notice of Assessment (ITA34) and Statement of Account via the platform and upload any supporting documents; and
- A new declaration questionnaire helps identify and address issues earlier.
Penalties for late tax return submissions
Under sections 210 and 211 of the Tax Administration Act, SARS may impose automatic administrative penalties for the late submission of tax returns. Currently, these penalties currently range from R250 to R16 000 per month, depending on the taxpayer’s taxable income, and may continue for up to 35 months where non-compliance persists.
With SARS continuing to increase its focus on enforcement and data-driven compliance, taxpayers should review their filing obligations early and ensure that all income, capital gains and offshore interests are properly and timeously disclosed.
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