Tax and SARS knowledge base
What should I do when my eFiling ITR12 shows a validation error?
What should I do when my eFiling return shows a validation error?
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Direct answer
Read the exact validation message and correct the affected information before submitting the ITR12. SARS says eFiling checks the correctness of specific information and prompts you to correct captured information that is incorrect or incomplete before the return can be submitted.
The right correction depends on the message. Some errors can be fixed by completing an omitted field or correcting your own entry. Others relate to data submitted by an employer, fund, institution or appointed representative. In those cases, the third party may need to correct its source submission to SARS.
What this means in practice
A validation error occurs before successful submission. It is different from a post-submission verification request, audit letter or assessment. Treat it as a precise data problem, not a signal to change unrelated parts of the return.
The message text is important. It may name the field, certificate or type of data that needs attention. Capture the wording before you try changes. A vague description such as "eFiling will not submit" is often not enough to identify the source of the problem later.
SARS's guide gives a specific example of an invalid IT3(BO) beneficial-ownership number. In that case the guide says the appointed representative must update the submission, after which the return information must be rectified and resubmitted. This illustrates the general principle: identify whether the taxpayer or the data provider owns the correction.
Step-by-step
- Record the exact error.
Take a screenshot or note the full message, tax year, error code if one appears and the affected field. Ensure that you are working on the correct ITR12 and not an older saved version.
- Read the message before changing the return.
Determine whether eFiling says a field is incomplete, a value is incorrect or a third-party record cannot be validated. Do not change several unrelated fields at once. That makes it harder to see what resolves the issue and can introduce new errors.
- Check the underlying document.
Compare the field with the original IRP5, IT3, medical, retirement, trust or other relevant certificate. If you entered the figure yourself and the record shows a different supported figure, correct the entry as the return allows.
- Identify the owner of the data.
If the message relates to an employer, financial institution, fund or appointed representative's submission, contact that party. Give it the relevant tax year, certificate or reference and exact error wording. Ask it to investigate whether it needs to correct the record submitted to SARS.
- Refresh only when appropriate.
eFiling has a Refresh Data function for third-party information. SARS says Refresh All may overwrite prepopulated data and update the return type. Use it only after you understand what information will be refreshed and, where necessary, after a provider confirms that it has corrected its submission.
- Resubmit after the specific issue is resolved.
Reopen or refresh the return as appropriate, confirm that the validation message no longer appears and submit only when the ITR12 is complete and accurate. Keep the submission confirmation.
- Escalate where the message remains unresolved.
If the official guidance, certificate and provider response do not resolve the message, use an official SARS support channel. Give SARS the exact wording and supporting evidence rather than guessing at a different return entry.
Documents and records to keep
Keep a screenshot of the validation message, the relevant ITR12 version and the source document for the affected entry. Depending on the error, that may be an IRP5, IT3, medical or retirement certificate, trust information or correspondence with a provider or appointed representative.
Retain a copy of any corrected third-party certificate, provider confirmation, refreshed return view and final submission confirmation. These records make it easier to show why a figure was changed if SARS later asks.
Important limits and exceptions
There is no safe universal fix for a validation error. The article's steps are deliberately based on the exact message, underlying evidence and data owner. Do not copy an online solution for a different error code.
An eFiling validation message before submission is not the same as a SARS verification or audit after submission. Do not submit unsupported documents or start an objection process merely to resolve a validation prompt.
The specific IT3(BO) example does not mean every error is beneficial-ownership related. It demonstrates that some records can only be corrected by the party that supplied them.
When to get tailored advice
Get tailored help if the error relates to a trust, foreign income, residency, business activity, capital gain, unknown employer, a certificate you cannot obtain, or a filed return that now needs correction. These facts can affect both the reporting position and who is entitled to correct the source data.
TaxProof can help you organise the error evidence and identify whether a provider or SARS needs to be contacted. SARS determines whether the corrected return passes validation and how it is processed after submission.
Related TaxProof guides
- Why is my ITR12 prepopulated with information I do not recognise? (B01-IND-003)
- Can I submit a revised ITR12 after I have already filed? (B01-IND-005)
- SARS verification, audit and tax debt response