Filing season

SARS filing season 2026 dates and deadlines

Filing season is open. Non-provisional individual returns close on 23 October 2026. Here is the full calendar and what to have ready before each date.

Get your documents ready before the deadline. TaxScanZA scans and exports SARS-ready PDFs under the upload limit.
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Updated 27 July 2026. General information, not tax advice. Confirm dates on sars.gov.za before relying on them.

The 2026 filing season calendar

  • 1 to 12 July 2026: SARS issues auto-assessment notices to taxpayers with simpler tax affairs. If yours is correct, you do not need to file.
  • 13 July 2026: Filing opens on eFiling and the SARS MobiApp for individuals who were not auto-assessed, or who need to correct an auto-assessment.
  • 23 October 2026: Deadline for non-provisional individual taxpayers. This is also the deadline to file a corrected return if your auto-assessment was wrong.
  • 22 January 2027: Deadline for provisional taxpayers and trusts filing via eFiling.
Dates can shift: SARS announces the exact dates each year and occasionally adjusts them. Always confirm against the current notice on sars.gov.za.

What to have ready before you file

  • IRP5/IT3(a) certificates from every employer.
  • Medical aid tax certificate, usually released by your scheme from June. See how to upload medical aid certificates.
  • Retirement annuity and investment certificates.
  • Travel logbook and vehicle documents if you claim travel.
  • Home office documents if you claim the deduction. See the home office guide.

The full list depends on your income and deductions. The supporting documents checklist covers the common categories.

Do not wait for a verification request to prepare documents

SARS can select any return for verification and then asks for supporting documents, usually with a fixed response window. Each file must be under 5MB, not password-protected, and clearly readable, with a maximum of 20 documents per submission. Preparing the files when you receive the certificates, rather than when SARS asks, removes the deadline pressure.

Check every file before eFiling does

Run your prepared documents through the SARS Document Compliance Checker. It checks file size, format, filename characters, and encrypted PDF markers in your browser, without uploading anything.

See also what to do about your auto-assessment, SARS upload rejected, and what receipts to keep for tax.