South African Revenue Service Commissioner Johnstone Makhubu said the filing schedule for the 2025/2026 personal income tax season during a media briefing.
The schedule provides necessary clarity for millions of taxpayers to ensure compliance and avoid penalties during the annual filing window. Establishing these dates early allows individuals and businesses to prepare their financial records for government review.
Speaking at the SARS headquarters in Johannesburg, Makhubu said the phased approach to the season. Auto-assessments are scheduled to begin July 1, 2025 [1]. This process allows the agency to pre-populate returns for eligible taxpayers based on third-party data.
For those not eligible for auto-assessment, the general filing window opens July 13, 2025 [1]. This date marks the start of the submission period for the 2025/2026 tax year [1].
The briefing focused on the transition to these dates and the expectations for taxpayer compliance. Makhubu said the timeline is designed to manage the volume of submissions effectively across the national system.
SARS continues to emphasize the use of digital platforms to streamline the process. By separating the auto-assessment start date from the general filing opening, the agency aims to reduce the immediate load on its digital infrastructure, a strategy used in previous cycles to prevent system crashes.
“Auto-assessments are scheduled to begin on 1 July 2025”
The staggered rollout of auto-assessments and general filings indicates a continued push by SARS toward a fully digitized, data-driven tax environment. By leveraging third-party data for early assessments, the agency reduces the manual burden on taxpayers and lowers the risk of human error in filings, while simultaneously increasing the speed of processing refunds and audits.
