SARS eFiling Deadline Is 23 October: How to Spot the Tax-Season Phishing Scams

The SARS filing deadline for most salaried taxpayers is Friday, 23 October 2026. Scammers know this date too. Fake SARS emails, SMSes and eFiling pages are circulating as the deadline nears. This guide shows you how to file safely and how to recognise a fraudulent message. All amounts in this article are in rand.

What the SARS Filing Deadline Means for You

The SARS filing deadline of 23 October applies to non-provisional individual taxpayers who were not auto-assessed. Most of them earn a salary with tax already deducted. The 2026 tax year covers income earned from 1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026. If SARS auto-assessed you and you agree with the outcome, you need to do nothing more. If you disagree, you must submit a corrected return by the same deadline.

Provisional taxpayers and trusts have until 22 January 2027. You can file on SARS eFiling or the SARS MobiApp. Late returns can trigger monthly penalties of up to R16,000.

How SARS Phishing Messages Try to Fool You

SARS phishing messages copy the look and tone of real tax correspondence. Kaspersky researchers have found fake websites that imitate SARS eFiling. One fake page asks for your username, password and phone number. Other scams arrive as attachments named like assessment notices or tax returns. SARS confirmed that one SMS and email offering a R48,900 refund was a scam. Kaspersky’s Chris Norton notes that people expect messages about returns and refunds at this stage of the season. A fake notice therefore looks less out of place.

In July, SARS warned that criminals now use AI to create professional-looking fake SARS emails. AI also removes classic warning signs such as spelling errors. You therefore need to check other details. Watch for these warning signs:

• Wrong sender domain:
  Official SARS correspondence comes from an @sars.gov.za address, while recent scams used addresses such as refunds@sars.co.za.
• Requests for credentials:
  SARS will never ask for passwords, one-time PINs, banking PINs or eFiling login details by email, SMS, social media or phone.
• Links to other websites:
  SARS says it will never send you hyperlinks to other websites.
• Pressure to act fast:
  Subject lines such as “Refund due” or “SARS Letter of demand” push you to act before you check.
• Payment into a new account:
  SARS is a pre-approved beneficiary at South African banks and does not ask you to pay into unfamiliar accounts.

Tax Season Scams Cost More Than a Refund

Many tax season scams aim at your SARS eFiling profile. Once criminals gain access, they can change your registered banking details. Your legitimate refund then goes to a fraudulent account. Other criminals pose as SARS officials by phone, email or WhatsApp. They claim there is a problem with your return, refund or tax status. Their goal is to get your ID number, tax reference number, banking details or one-time PINs. The Southern African Fraud Prevention Service warns that details stolen through phishing can lead to eFiling profile hijacking.

The wider fraud figures show what is at stake. South Africans lost R2.4bn to digital banking crime in 2025, up from about R1.9bn in 2024. SABRIC recorded 110,074 incidents. Most cases started outside the bank, when criminals impersonated trusted organisations and created urgency. South Africa also had the highest suspected digital fraud rate in Africa in 2025.

Safe Ways to Use SARS eFiling Before the Deadline

Open SARS eFiling or the MobiApp yourself instead of clicking a link in a message. Confirm any letter, payment or refund inside your profile. Make tax payments only through official SARS platforms or verified banking channels.

Use a strong password and multi-factor authentication. Avoid public Wi-Fi when you file. If you pay a tax practitioner, check the registration first, because SARS requires paid practitioners to be registered. Kaspersky also advises you not to upload tax records, ID documents or banking details to public AI chatbots.

If a scam message reaches you, delete it and block the sender. Report suspicious messages to phishing@sars.gov.za. SARS lists known scam examples on its Scams and Phishing webpage. Kaspersky shared similar tips to stay cyber-safe during tax season in 2025, and the advice still holds.

Conclusion: File Early and Ignore Unexpected SARS Phishing Links

Filing early protects you in two ways. You avoid penalties, and deadline-themed messages lose their power to rush you. SARS will never ask for your passwords or one-time PINs. If a message does, delete it and report it. The SARS filing deadline is 23 October, so you still have time to file safely through official channels.