How do I request a historic individual tax return on eFiling?

Direct answer

To request an earlier individual income-tax return on SARS eFiling, sign in to your profile, open Returns Issued, select Personal Income Tax (ITR12), choose the tax year you need and use Request Return. The requested return should then be available in the work area for that tax type and year.

Requesting a return is an administrative step. It does not change an assessment, reverse a SARS decision or confirm that a historical return can be completed without further information. Check the year carefully before acting, then work from the tax certificates and records that relate to that year.

What this means in practice

An ITR12 is the individual income-tax return used on eFiling. A historic return is simply a return for an earlier tax year that is not already open in the place you expect. The useful starting point is to identify the exact tax year, rather than selecting a year based only on when you received a salary certificate or SARS letter.

SARS's eFiling guidance identifies the route as Returns Issued, Personal Income Tax (ITR12), select the relevant year, then Request Return. Screen labels and available years can change, so follow the current labels shown in your own account. If a year does not appear or an existing return is already visible, do not create a second path based on a guess. Review the return status and correspondence first.

Before requesting the return, gather the records that explain income, deductions and payments for that period. These can include an IRP5 or IT3(a), medical-aid certificate, retirement-fund certificate, investment certificate, business records and any SARS correspondence. The right records depend on your circumstances. A certificate issued for another year is not evidence for the requested year.

This guide is about opening the historic return. It is not advice on an objection, a correction to an assessment, a voluntary disclosure, penalty remission or what result SARS should reach once the return is submitted.

Step-by-step

1. Confirm the tax year you need.

Read any SARS notice, assessment or outstanding-return reminder and write down the tax year exactly. Keep the matter separate from the date on which you received the notice.

1. Sign in to your own SARS eFiling profile.

Use the profile linked to the taxpayer's tax number. If you are acting for somebody else, make sure your authority and access are in place before trying to request a return.

1. Open Returns Issued.

Select Personal Income Tax (ITR12). This is the return area SARS identifies for the individual-income-tax request route.

1. Select the required year.

Choose the historical tax year, then select Request Return. Recheck the year before confirming. A return for the wrong period can create unnecessary follow-up work.

1. Check the return when it becomes available.

Open the returned item in the work area and look for pre-populated information, questions or messages that need attention. Do not assume every item is complete merely because it displays on the return.

1. Match the return to your records.

Compare available details with year-specific certificates and supporting records. Keep a list of items you need to investigate rather than entering estimates to make the return appear complete.

1. Retain evidence of the request and later filing.

Save relevant confirmations, correspondence and the final submitted-return record. The request itself is different from submitting the completed return.

Documents and records to keep

• The SARS letter, statement or reminder that identifies the tax year.
• Your tax number and eFiling access details, kept securely.
• Year-specific income, medical, retirement and investment certificates where relevant.
• Business, rental or deduction records that relate to that year.
• Copies of correspondence, the requested return and later submission confirmation.

Important limits and exceptions

Request Return opens or retrieves the relevant ITR12 workflow. It is not proof that the return has been filed. A saved or requested return still needs the appropriate review and formal submission action before it can be treated as submitted.

The eFiling route requires appropriate access. If you cannot access the taxpayer profile, cannot identify the year, or find a status that conflicts with the correspondence, use an official SARS support channel rather than guessing.

Do not treat a historic return request as a dispute process. An assessment, objection deadline, request for reasons or penalty question can have separate procedures and time limits. The facts, records and correspondence for those matters should be considered separately.

When to get tailored advice

Get tailored advice if the historical year includes a business, foreign income, a large capital transaction, an assessment you may need to challenge or missing source documents. It is also sensible to ask for help where an older return may affect more than one tax year.

TaxProof can help organise the correct year-specific information before a return is completed. SARS determines access, return status and any assessment outcome.

Related TaxProof guides

• How do I check my SARS return submission status? (B04-ADM-003)
• How do I submit a SARS return after the filing deadline? (B04-ADM-002)

Sources

• SARS, How do I request an ITR12 return on eFiling?