Many taxpayers will still need to complete their own returns during the 2026 tax season.
Millions of South Africans have been auto-assessed and have already received their tax refunds, but many taxpayers will still need to complete their own returns during the 2026 tax season.
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has auto-assessed around 1.9 million taxpayers, with billions of rand in refunds already paid out since the start of the filing season.
Auto-assessments are based on information received from employers, banks, medical schemes and retirement fund administrators. This information is used by SARS to pre-populate sections of a taxpayer’s return.
The auto-assessment period runs until July 12, 2026, and will be followed by the opening of the normal filing period on July 13, 2026.
