How to reset a forgotten SARS eFiling password

Direct answer

Use the Forgot Password link on the official SARS eFiling login screen. Enter your eFiling username, choose the available channel for a one-time PIN, or OTP, enter the OTP sent to the email address or cell number saved on your profile, then create and confirm a new password.

This is an account-access process. It does not change your SARS tax registration, your tax number, or the registered contact details SARS uses for tax correspondence.

What this means in practice

The password reset depends on information that SARS already holds on the eFiling profile. In particular, the OTP goes to the saved eFiling security contact. That means a forgotten password can usually be reset online only when you know the username and can access the saved email address or cell number.

Choose a password that meets SARS's rules. SARS says a new or changed password needs at least eight characters, at least one uppercase letter, lowercase letter, number and special character. It must not use personal information such as your name, surname, email address or username, and should not use repetitive or sequential characters.

Do not confuse this route with recovering a forgotten username. SARS provides separate login-screen links for those two problems. If the username is also unknown, use the official Forgot Your Username process instead of repeatedly trying passwords.

Step-by-step

1. Go to the official SARS eFiling login screen.

Check that you are on the official SARS eFiling service before entering any details. Start with Forgot Password, not with a new eFiling registration.

1. Enter the eFiling username.

The SARS reset process asks for the username first. If you cannot remember it, stop and use the separate username-recovery route. Guessing can make an already stressful access problem harder to trace.

1. Select the available OTP delivery channel.

SARS sends the OTP to the email address or cell number saved on the eFiling profile. Select the channel presented by eFiling and wait for the OTP there. Enter it only on the official SARS screen.

1. Set the new password.

After SARS accepts the OTP, enter the new password and type it again to confirm it. Submit the change and keep the onscreen confirmation. Store the username securely, but do not keep the password in a shared file or message.

1. If SARS cannot match old profile details, follow its recovery prompts.

SARS gives additional steps for eFilers registered before 1 July 2019 who did not provide contact details. You may need to enter your current cell number and email address. If SARS can match those details, it sends an OTP. If not, SARS may ask authentication questions. If SARS still cannot match the details, it directs the user to the SARS Contact Centre.

Documents and records to keep

• Your eFiling username.
• Access to the saved eFiling email address or cell number.
• For the older-profile recovery process, your current email address and cell number.
• The confirmation that the password was changed, if you need to show that the access issue was resolved.

Never send your password or OTP to an accountant, colleague, family member or anyone claiming to offer SARS support. SARS uses the OTP to authenticate the change, so it should remain private.

Important limits and exceptions

Resetting the password changes only the password. It does not change an outdated eFiling security contact, nor does it update the taxpayer's registered details through RAV01. If you can no longer access the contact that receives the OTP, use the security-contact update route rather than assuming a password reset will fix it.

SARS's older-profile route is not a promise of automatic recovery. SARS may be unable to match the contact details and may require more authentication or Contact Centre assistance. Do not create a second eFiling profile to work around a password problem.

When to get tailored advice

Use SARS assistance if the profile is connected to multiple tax numbers, an estate, a deceased taxpayer, a trust or a business role, or if SARS cannot authenticate the password reset. Those facts can affect which profile and which person should act.

TaxProof can help you organise SARS correspondence and identify the correct next administration step. SARS alone verifies credentials and resets eFiling access.

Related TaxProof guides

• Do I need to submit a tax return in South Africa?
• How do I change my SARS eFiling mobile number or email address? (B01-ADM-003)
• Why is SARS eFiling not sending my one-time PIN? (B01-ADM-002)

Sources

• SARS, Guide to Register for eFiling and Manage your User Profile
• SARS, Guide to submit your Individual Income Tax Return via eFiling