Tax filing season 2026 is open. If you are a non-provisional taxpayer, your deadline to submit your ITR12 is 23 October 2026.
That sounds far away. It is not. The people who submit early get their refunds faster, have time to fix errors before the deadline, and are not scrambling in October.
Here is what you need to gather before you submit.
What the 2026 Tax Year Covers
The 2026 tax year runs from 1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026.
Your ITR12 must declare all income earned and all deductions claimed during this period. If you received a salary, rental income, freelance income, or investment returns between March 2025 and February 2026, it needs to be on your return.
Documents to Gather Before You Start
Do not log into eFiling until you have everything in front of you. Starting without the right documents leads to errors, omissions, and returns that attract SARS queries.
From your employer:
Your IRP5 or IT3(a) certificate covers your salary, PAYE deducted, and any employer contributions. If you worked for more than one employer during the year, you need an IRP5 from each one.
Medical aid:
Your medical aid fund will issue a tax certificate confirming your contributions and those of your employer. You need this to claim your monthly medical aid tax credits.
Retirement annuity:
If you contributed directly to a retirement annuity fund, your fund will issue a tax certificate. Contributions through your employer appear on your IRP5.
Rental income:
If you earned rental income, gather your bond statement showing interest paid, municipal rates invoices, insurance documents, agent fee statements, and receipts for any repairs or maintenance during the year.
Section 18A donations:
If you donated to a registered Public Benefit Organisation and want to claim the deduction, you need the Section 18A certificate from the charity. Without it, the deduction cannot be claimed.
Out of pocket medical expenses:
Gather receipts for any qualifying medical costs not covered by your medical aid, including specialist visits, prescribed medication, and dental or optical expenses.
Common Mistakes When Self-Submitting
SARS auto-assessments and eFiling pre-populate a lot of information, but pre-populated does not mean correct.
Mistakes we see regularly:
Accepting the auto-assessment without checking it
SARS pre-populates your return from third party data. If a certificate was not submitted to SARS by your employer or fund, it will not appear. Always verify against your own documents.
Missing income sources
Freelance income, rental income, and interest earned are not always pre-populated. If you earned income outside of a salary, you need to add it manually.
Not claiming all deductions
Medical aid credits, retirement annuity contributions, Section 18A donations, and wear and tear on your own equipment do not always pull through automatically. If you do not add them, you do not get them.
Banking details not verified
If SARS owes you a refund and your banking details on eFiling are not verified or are outdated, your refund will not be paid. Check your details before submitting.
When to Expect Your Refund
If SARS owes you a refund and your banking details are verified and correct, processing times are generally:
- Auto-assessment refunds: within 72 hours in some cases.
- Manually submitted returns: 2 to 4 months, though this varies.
Submitting early and accurately gives you the best chance of receiving your refund without delays or additional SARS queries.
The non-provisional taxpayer deadline is 23 October 2026. Provisional taxpayers have until 22 January 2027.
Do not wait until October. The documents are available now, the system is open, and submitting early means any issues can be resolved well before the deadline.
Not Sure If Your Return Is Correct?
A lot can go wrong when self-submitting, and a lot of money can be left on the table. At Accounting Simplified we review your full tax position, make sure every deduction is claimed, and submit on your behalf.
Important: This article provides general guidance for South African individuals. Tax rules and thresholds change annually. Consult a qualified accounting professional for advice specific to your circumstances.