26/08/2026
🔎 FAQ - I received an auto assessment. What is this and what do I do next?
🗣️ An auto assessment is SARS completing your tax return on your behalf, using information supplied by third-party institutions such as your employer, bank, investment companies, and medical aid.
Auto assessments for the 2026 tax year will begin rolling out between 1–12 July 2026 and are typically issued to taxpayers with relatively straightforward tax affairs. For example, those with only an IRP5, bank interest, and medical aid contributions.
If you receive an auto assessment, you will notified by email and/or sms. If you receive a notification, please do not click any links in the email. It is safer to check your correspondence directly on eFiling as scam emails typically increase around tax season.
Although issued by SARS, these assessments are not always correct. SARS may have missed important information such as retirement annuity deductions, additional investment interest, capital gains or losses, or extra medical expenses. It is therefore important to compare your auto assessment against all tax certificates received from your employer, bank, and investment institutions before accepting it.
In more complex situations, you may need to correct the return and add in additional information such as capital gains/losses, additional medical expenses, logbook claims etc.
A great tip to keep in mind is to keep track of every institution you hold investments or monetary accounts with. This way you are able to ensure you receive tax certificates from the relative institutions and you can add in any missing information.
If you are unsure about how to handle your auto assessment, it is recommended that you contact a tax practitioner who can advise and assist you correctly.
Feel free to call (011) 794-5582 or email [email protected] for assistance.
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