SARS Announces 2026 Personal Income Tax Filing Season Dates

Posted 18 June 2026 Written by Acts Online
Category Tax

Brought to you by SAnews: The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has announced the official dates and administrative timelines for the 2026 personal income tax filing season.

In terms of the Income Tax Act, No. 58 of 1962, SARS Commissioner Dr Johnstone Makhubu has outlined a phased approach for the 2026 filing cycle. The structured timeline is designed to manage system volumes across digital channels, including eFiling and the SARS MobiApp, which will feature a virtual waiting room to manage peak traffic surges.

Key Filing Deadlines

  • 1 to 12 July 2026: Auto-assessment period for taxpayers with non-complex tax affairs and complete third-party data.
  • 13 July to 23 October 2026: Filing period for non-provisional and provisional taxpayers who are required to submit returns.
  • 22 January 2027: Deadline for provisional taxpayers to file their returns.

Taxpayers are advised to conduct a pre-filing health check to confirm that personal details, banking particulars, and contact information are accurate. SARS indicated that outstanding returns from prior years or outdated banking details will delay processing. For taxpayers who are auto-assessed, no action is required if the assessment is correct, and any due refunds will be processed within 72 hours.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: Perform a pre-filing health check on your personal eFiling profile to update banking details and contact information before 1 July 2026.
  • For your business: Reconcile and submit all employer and third-party data certificates timeously to ensure employees’ auto-assessments are not delayed by missing data.
  • For your clients: Prepare tax schedules and advise clients to monitor their profiles for auto-assessment notifications from 1 July, ensuring manual submissions are ready for the 13 July opening.

Originally published at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/sars-announces-2026-filing-season-dates

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