SARS opened the 2026 filing season for individuals on 1 July 2026. It covers the 2026 tax year, which ran from 1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026.
Key dates
| Who | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Non-provisional taxpayers (mostly salaried employees) | Friday, 23 October 2026 |
| Provisional taxpayers | Friday, 22 January 2027 |
Were you auto-assessed?
SARS issued auto-assessments to many taxpayers in early July, based on information from employers, medical schemes, retirement funds and banks. If your auto-assessment is correct and complete, you don’t have to do anything.
It is often incomplete, though. Common gaps include:
- medical expenses you paid yourself that your medical scheme did not cover
- retirement annuity contributions made outside your employer
- travel claims supported by a logbook
- income from a second employer, rental or freelance work
If anything is missing, file a corrected return before the deadline.
What to gather
- IRP5/IT3(a) certificates from every employer
- your medical aid tax certificate and records of out-of-pocket medical expenses
- retirement annuity certificates
- IT3(b) certificates for interest and dividends
- a travel logbook if you receive a travel allowance
- records of any other income and related expenses
How we can help
We check your auto-assessment, prepare and submit your ITR12 once you’ve approved it, and handle SARS correspondence. See our individual tax services or book a consultation.
This article is general information, not advice for your specific circumstances. Please speak to us before acting on it.