Tax Filing Season 2025: What You Need to Know About Auto-Assessments Filing season is officially upon us — and for many South Africans, that means it’s time to get your tax documents in order. But if you’re an individual taxpayer, there’s a good chance you’ve already received a SARS auto-assessment. So what does that mean — and what should you do next?
What is an Auto-Assessment? SARS introduced auto-assessments to simplify the process for individual taxpayers. Based on third-party data (like your IRP5, medical aid certificates, and investment income), SARS automatically calculates your tax return and sends you a pre-populated assessment via SMS or email.
Do You Need to Do Anything? Yes — even if you’ve been auto-assessed, it’s still your responsibility to verify the information and confirm that everything is accurate. If you agree with the assessment, you can simply accept it. But if there are any omissions — like business income, rental income, or additional deductions — you’ll need to file a revised return manually.
Key Things to Check: Were all your income sources included?
Do you have any deductions or expenses to claim (e.g. travel, home office, medical)?
Are your employer IRP5s and certificates correct?
Deadline Reminders: Auto-assessment acceptance: Within 40 business days of receiving it.
Manual tax return submissions (non-provisional taxpayers): Due by 20 October 2025
Provisional taxpayers: Due by 19 January 2026
Need Help? If you’re unsure whether your auto-assessment is accurate, or if you need to file a revised return, it’s best to get in touch with a registered tax practitioner.
At BeanWise, we handle the details so you don’t have to. Get in touch and we’ll make sure your return is correct, complete, and submitted on time — with no surprises from SARS down the line.
👉 Contact BeanWise today to review your assessment and file confidently this tax season.