Tax and SARS knowledge base
How do I add a new tax product to my business with SARS?
How do I add a new tax product to my business with SARS?
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Direct answer
To add a supported tax product to a business, the appropriate registered representative should open RAV01 in the business eFiling profile, select My Tax Products, choose the applicable subscription or application route, complete the requested information and submit it with the required authentication and supporting material.
SARS states that RAV01 manages tax products linked to an entity. Its guide also says VAT and payroll registration require biometric facial recognition. Applying for a tax product does not guarantee approval, and each tax type can have separate eligibility requirements.
What this means in practice
A tax product is a SARS tax obligation or registration linked to the legal entity. Adding one is not simply ticking a setting in a personal eFiling profile. You need to be in the correct entity profile, with appropriate authority, and be ready to provide information relevant to the tax product.
First identify the exact product the business needs. Do not add a product because another business has it or because a generic profile warning appears. The underlying activity and legal requirements determine whether the business should apply. This article explains the administrative RAV01 route, not whether the business must register for a particular tax.
RAV01's My Tax Products area is designed to manage products linked to the entity. The form may show existing products and available actions. Read the product label, entity details and prompts carefully. For VAT and payroll registration, SARS's guide specifically identifies biometric facial recognition as a requirement, so plan for that step rather than assuming ordinary credentials alone will complete the application.
Keep a complete audit trail. An application reference, the information submitted and SARS correspondence can be important if the business later needs to explain what product was requested and when.
Step-by-step
- Confirm the business and authority.
Verify the legal entity, eFiling profile and registered representative. Do not use a director's personal profile as a substitute for authorised entity access.
- Identify the tax product needed.
Confirm the exact product and the business activity that prompts the application. Check current official SARS requirements for that product before beginning.
- Gather supporting information.
Prepare entity registration particulars, representative details and any product-specific documents requested through the current SARS workflow.
- Open RAV01 and My Tax Products.
In the business profile, open the RAV01 registration-amendment and verification form and select My Tax Products. Review existing registrations so you do not duplicate an active product.
- Start the applicable subscription or application.
Choose the supported product route and enter the requested details carefully. Check that the application belongs to the intended legal entity.
- Complete required authentication.
Follow every security or identity step. SARS specifically states that VAT and payroll registration require biometric facial recognition. Do not attempt to bypass a required authentication process.
- Submit and retain the evidence.
Submit the application and keep the reference, confirmation and any request for more information. Monitor correspondence through the authorised channel.
Documents and records to keep
- Entity registration details and current SARS particulars.
- Evidence that the user is authorised to act for the business.
- Product-specific source documents supplied to SARS.
- Biometric or authentication completion evidence where available.
- Application reference, correspondence and final SARS notice.
Important limits and exceptions
My Tax Products helps manage entity tax products, but it does not decide whether the business meets the legal conditions for each registration. SARS can ask for further information, verify details or decline the application.
VAT and payroll registration have the biometric facial-recognition requirement identified in SARS's RAV01 guide. Other products can have different routes, evidence or conditions. Always follow the specific current application prompts.
Adding a product is not the same as submitting a return, paying an existing debt or correcting historic compliance. Those obligations continue under their own processes.
When to get tailored advice
Get tailored advice before applying for a product where the business activity, entity structure or registration date is uncertain. It can also help where a business has changed operations, has foreign elements or is already corresponding with SARS about compliance.
TaxProof can help identify the information needed for the formal application and maintain the submission record. SARS determines eligibility and registration approval.
Related TaxProof guides
- How do I deregister a tax type that no longer applies to my business? (B04-ADM-009)
- How do I update a company's registered SARS particulars through RAV01? (B04-ADM-007)