Don't fall for scams this tax season
- Carina van Wyk
- Jun 24
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 25
With tax-filing season around the corner and auto assessments starting next week, the South African Revenue Service has warned taxpayers against scams.
"You need to be aware of email and SMS scams. In the run-up to filing season there will be many attempts from scammers to mimic what we do and try and get your personal details, or to pay money into an account," reads a warning on the South African Revenue Service (SARS) website.
SARS commissioner Dr Johnstone Makhubu announced the rollout of its phased filing season last week, with an auto-assessment period from 1 to 12 July, followed by the broader filing period from 13 July until 23 October for non-provisional taxpayers or until 22 January 2027 for provisional taxpayers.
Over the next few weeks, you might be one of approximately 6 million taxpayers who'll receive an SMS or email from SARS informing you that you have been auto-assessed and that your assessment is ready for review on eFiling or the SARS MobiApp.
When you're expecting to receive a message from SARS, it's much easier to be caught off guard when approached by a scammer pretending to contact you from the taxman's office. Scammers know this, which is why you need to be extra vigilant during this time.
The warning signs
In some instances, you might receive an email from a false address that looks like it could be from the revenue service, but is in fact fraudulent. Examples include but are not limited to emails from addresses like returns@sars.co.za or refunds@sars.co.za, indicating that you are eligible to receive a refund and that all you have to do is to click on the "eFiling link" provided.
According to SARS, these emails often contain links (see example below) to false forms and fake websites made to look like its platforms, but with the aim of fooling you into entering personal information such as bank account details.
Scammers also know that if they play on our emotions, especially fear, we tend to let our guard down. If you receive a "tax-settlement notification", "final demand" or "demand for unpaid debt", be very careful – especially if you're unaware of money you owe SARS. Don't make any payment before confirming it with SARS directly.
According to the revenue service, someone from SARS will never:
Request your banking details in any communication that you receive via post, email or SMS.
Send you hyperlinks to other websites, even those of banks.
Send you .htm or .html attachments.
Ask for your credit card details.
However, when you phone SARS through its official channels, you will be asked to confirm some of your personal details for authentication purposes.
How to protect yourself
Beware of emails or other forms of communication asking for personal, tax, banking or eFiling details.
Never disclose login credentials, passwords, one-time pins (OTPs), credit or debit card information.
Don't click on any link you receive in a message that looks like it's from SARS. Instead, log in to your eFiling profile on the official SARS eFiling site (https://secure.sarsefiling.co.za) or the SARS MobiApp (find it on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store). If you are due for a refund or owe SARS money, the info will be there.
You can also call SARS directly on 0800 00 7277, send a WhatsApp to 0800 11 7277 or use one of these official communication channels.
Familiarise yourself with:
To report SARS-related phishing or other scams, send an email to phishing@sars.gov.za
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