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How do I check my SARS return submission status?
How do I check my SARS return submission status?
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Direct answer
To check a SARS return submission status, sign in to the relevant SARS eFiling profile, open the work page for the correct tax type and period, and use Query SARS Status where the function is available. Review the displayed status together with any correspondence or notice for that return, and retain the submission confirmation.
A status tells you what the eFiling record currently shows. It is not automatically a final assessment, proof that every document was accepted or a decision on a refund, penalty or dispute.
What this means in practice
The first step is to find the exact return. Tax years, tax periods and return types can look similar, especially where a taxpayer has more than one obligation. Use the tax type and period on the submission confirmation or SARS notice rather than relying on memory.
SARS eFiling guides describe a Query SARS Status option from a return work page after submission. The precise wording, screens and available options can differ between return types and can change over time. If the option is present, use it for the return you opened. If it is not present, read the available status and correspondence before trying another route.
The status should be read with the documents behind it. A submission confirmation shows that you completed a submission action. A later message may request supporting documents, issue an assessment, identify an amount, or say that some action is outstanding. None of these should be interpreted beyond their wording.
Keep a dated record of what you checked. This is useful if status information changes or if you later need to explain which return was submitted and when. A screenshot can be helpful, but keep the official notice or confirmation as well where one is available.
Step-by-step
- Start with the return reference.
Locate the submission confirmation, SARS correspondence or your return file. Note the taxpayer, tax type, period and submission date.
- Sign in to the appropriate eFiling profile.
Use the profile linked to the taxpayer and the tax type. Representatives should make sure they are viewing the correct client's record.
- Open the relevant return work page.
Navigate to the tax product and select the same tax year or period recorded in your evidence. Check the return identifier before reading a status.
- Use Query SARS Status where shown.
SARS's eFiling guidance shows this option after submission on the relevant work page. Select it only for the return you have verified.
- Read the status and linked correspondence together.
Look for current letters, notices or requests connected with the return. Record the date, the wording of the status and the next action expressly requested by SARS.
- Keep proof.
Save the submission confirmation, status result and notices in the same return file. Do not rely only on a browser history or an email subject line.
- Take only the stated next step.
If SARS asks for documents, follow that request. If an assessment or other notice is issued, read the document and obtain advice if you are unsure of its effect. Do not assume a general status label answers every issue.
Documents and records to keep
- Submission confirmation and any reference number.
- Tax type, tax year or period details.
- Current eFiling status result or screenshot.
- ITA34 or other assessment notice where SARS has issued one.
- Copies of correspondence and supporting documents tied to the return.
Important limits and exceptions
The function and labels may differ by return type. The fact that a status appears in eFiling does not mean an assessment is final, that a payment has cleared or that no further evidence will be requested.
Do not confuse a saved return with a submitted return. A status inquiry is useful only after you have identified whether the return was formally submitted. Likewise, an assessment can require its own review; this guide does not advise on assessment objections or corrections.
If you see conflicting information, preserve the notices and use an official SARS route for clarification. Avoid making another return submission merely to test what a status means.
When to get tailored advice
Get tailored advice if the status indicates a complex review, an assessment differs materially from the return, several historical periods are involved or the return contains business, capital-gains or foreign-income issues.
TaxProof can help match the status, correspondence and source records to the correct return file. SARS determines the return's processing and assessment outcome.
Related TaxProof guides
- Why does SARS eFiling show a return as saved instead of submitted? (B04-ADM-004)
- How do I request a historic individual tax return on eFiling? (B04-ADM-001)