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How do I correct an inaccurate SARS auto-assessment?
How do I correct an inaccurate SARS auto-assessment?
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Direct answer
If your SARS auto-assessment is missing income, deductions or personal information, do not accept it just because it is prepopulated. SARS says taxpayers who do not agree with an auto-assessment should check the information on the income-tax return, add missing details and submit through eFiling or the SARS MobiApp. Work from original records and the current return screens.
Auto-assessment information comes from data provided by third parties such as employers, banks, medical schemes and retirement funds. It can be useful, but it is not a complete substitute for your own review.
What this means in practice
Start by confirming that the notice is genuine. Use the SARS eFiling or MobiApp account, or another official SARS channel, rather than following a link in an unexpected message. SARS warns taxpayers not to share passwords, one-time pins or banking PINs in response to email, SMS, social-media or telephone requests.
Compare the prepopulated return against each original record. Check IRP5 or IT3(a) certificates, IT3(b) investment records, medical-aid certificates, retirement-annuity certificates, travel records where relevant, business income and expenses, rental information, foreign income and capital transactions. Confirm your contact and bank information as well. A missing item can be as important as a number that is visibly wrong.
If third-party data is incorrect, SARS has indicated that the institution that supplied it may need to correct the information with SARS. Keep your certificate and correspondence with the employer, bank, medical scheme or fund. Do not invent a replacement number, and do not submit two copies of the same income because one appears prepopulated and another appears on a certificate.
Once you have the correct records, open the current ITR12 through the official SARS workflow, add or correct the necessary details and submit it. Save a copy or reference of the submitted return and wait for the resulting assessment. Review the ITA34 when it is issued; it summarises the outcome and can show whether further action, payment or verification is required.
Keep a dated correction note with the tax year, each changed return field, the original record used and any provider correspondence. This makes it easier to explain the submission if SARS requests verification and helps prevent a later correction from reintroducing the same omitted or duplicated item.
Step-by-step
- Access the notice safely.
Log in to eFiling or the SARS MobiApp directly. Confirm the tax year and read the auto-assessment status and messages.
- Make a comparison checklist.
List every income source, certificate, deduction and relevant transaction. Tick each item only when it agrees with the underlying record.
- Investigate differences.
Mark missing data, duplicates and errors. Contact the relevant third-party provider for corrections where the provider supplied the incorrect information.
- Update the return.
Use the current ITR12 workflow to add or correct supportable information. Follow the screens for the applicable tax year instead of copying historic directions.
- Submit and review the assessment.
Save the submission confirmation, then read the ITA34 and statement information when made available. Keep an eye on any SARS request.
- Retain your evidence.
Keep certificates, schedules, correspondence, submitted ITR12 and assessment. SARS says ITR12 records should be retained for at least five years.
Documents and records to keep
- Auto-assessment notice and screenshots or reference details from official SARS channels.
- IRP5, IT3, medical, retirement and investment certificates.
- Business, rental, travel, foreign-income and capital-transaction records where relevant.
- Correspondence asking a third party to correct supplied information.
- Submitted ITR12, ITA34 and any verification request or response.
Important limits and exceptions
This guide is for correcting information before or during the current return process. It does not determine whether an amount is taxable or deductible, and it does not replace an objection or correction process after an assessment where a different route is required. Follow the deadline and instructions on the current SARS notice and digital channel.
Do not accept an assessment without reading it. Do not upload documents unless SARS asks for them through an official process. If a third party cannot correct data promptly, preserve the correspondence and seek advice about the correct filing approach rather than leaving known omissions unaddressed.
When to get tailored advice
Seek advice for business, foreign, capital-gains, trust, multiple-employer or material deduction issues. TaxProof can reconcile your records to the return for professional review.