How to add or change bank details on SARS eFiling

Direct answer

If you use eFiling, you can update bank details through the Update My Personal Income Tax Bank Account option for Personal Income Tax, through the Registration Amendments and Verification Form, known as RAV01, or while completing an individual ITR12 where the relevant option is available. The SARS MobiApp Profile Management tab is another channel.

SARS verifies bank-detail changes before it updates the profile or pays a refund. On eFiling, the change includes OTP confirmation. Only the taxpayer, a registered representative whose details match SARS records, or a registered tax practitioner may make the request under SARS's rules.

What this means in practice

Changing an account number is not a routine edit that happens instantly. SARS treats bank changes as a fraud-sensitive process and may require supporting documents before it accepts the change.

For an individual Personal Income Tax account, SARS provides the express option on eFiling. That route is not a general shortcut for every tax product or every entity. A company, trust, estate or other tax product can have a different RAV01, authority or evidence requirement. Customs and Excise banking details cannot be changed on eFiling and require the Customs process.

Do not use an informal arrangement with a friend, bookkeeper or family member to change your bank details. SARS checks both authority and evidence. A tax practitioner may act for a taxpayer, but the appointment and supporting material must meet SARS requirements.

Step-by-step

1. Check your eFiling security contacts first.

Make sure the email address and mobile number in your eFiling profile are current. SARS uses a one-time PIN to confirm an eFiling bank-detail change, so you need access to the chosen contact method.

1. Choose the channel that matches the taxpayer and tax product.

For an individual Personal Income Tax account, use Update My Personal Income Tax Bank Account on eFiling. You can also use RAV01 through Maintain SARS Registered Details, the bank-details section of an individual ITR12, or the SARS MobiApp Profile Management tab where applicable.

1. Enter the bank details carefully.

Select the bank and enter the required account information. Ensure that the legal account-holder name, account number, account type and branch code are accurate. An incorrect number can leave a return saved with invalid bank details or delay a refund.

1. Submit the update and complete the OTP check.

On the individual eFiling route, SARS asks you to confirm the change and then sends an OTP to your chosen security contact. Enter the OTP only in the official SARS service.

1. Watch for a verification request.

SARS may accept the information through its validations or ask for supporting documents. If SARS asks, submit the requested material through the channel stated in the letter or process. Do not assume the profile is updated simply because you have entered the new account number.

1. Keep the evidence and wait for confirmation.

SARS pays a refund only once it has confirmed the banking details. Keep the update confirmation, case number and copies of the documents you supplied until the process is complete.

Documents and records to keep

For an individual change, prepare:

• A valid identity document, driving licence, passport, temporary identity document, or qualifying asylum document.
• A stamped, including electronically stamped, bank letter no older than three months, or a bank, ATM, internet-generated, or eStamped statement no older than three months. It must show the legal account-holder name, account number, account type and branch code.
• Proof of residential address no older than three months.

Additional requirements apply to joint accounts, life partners, companies, trusts, estates, non-residents and requests made by a representative or practitioner. A joint account can require a marriage certificate or life-partnership affidavit. A practitioner or mandated requestor may need an original power of attorney. If SARS asks you to verify banking details online, it requires an image of the requestor holding proof of identity and a written note with the case number and upload date.

Important limits and exceptions

SARS does not accept requests to change bank details by telephone, post or fax. Email is allowed only in exceptional circumstances. If you cannot use eFiling, SARS identifies a branch appointment as an alternative.

The requestor must be authorised. A registered representative's details must match those held by SARS. Do not say that a once-off helper can automatically change bank details online. Authority and supporting requirements vary with the taxpayer type and the circumstances.

This guide is not a promise that a refund will be paid immediately after you submit a bank change. SARS must first verify and accept the new details.

When to get tailored advice

Get tailored help where the account is shared, belongs to a group company, is connected with a trust or estate, or where the taxpayer is outside South Africa, incapacitated, deceased or in liquidation. These cases have extra documentary and authority requirements.

Also get help if SARS has rejected the verification or if the authority and evidence requirements are unclear.

TaxProof can help you organise the supporting records and understand a SARS verification request, but SARS decides whether to accept the banking-detail change.

Related TaxProof guides

• SARS verification, audit and tax debt response
• Why is my SARS refund still pending? (PILOT-003)
• How do I register for SARS eFiling for the first time? (PILOT-001)

Sources

• SARS, Adding or Changing Banking Details
• SARS, Supporting documents for banking details
• SARS, Guide to submit your Individual Income Tax Return via eFiling