Why has SARS asked me to verify my identity or banking details?

Direct answer

SARS may ask for identity or banking-detail verification when personal, security-contact or bank information is changed or needs confirmation. These checks are designed to protect a taxpayer's profile and payment details. Use an official SARS channel to confirm the request and complete the required process.

If both your registered email address and mobile number need to change, SARS says you should call SARS or book a branch appointment to verify your identity. SARS also warns that it will not ask for your password, one-time PIN or bank PIN by email, SMS or telephone call.

What this means in practice

Bank and contact details are fraud-sensitive. A genuine request may require you to authenticate through eFiling, MobiApp or another official SARS service. That does not mean any message that uses the SARS name is genuine.

The safest habit is to start from a known official channel, not from a link in the message. Open SARS eFiling, the official MobiApp or sars.gov.za yourself. Look for the request in your profile, correspondence or the service workflow. If it is not visible, use an official SARS contact route to check it rather than replying to the sender.

Identity verification is not always a sign that your tax return is wrong. It can be part of a profile or bank-detail update. But it can affect how quickly SARS can finalise an update, so do not ignore a confirmed request.

Step-by-step

1. Pause before responding to an unexpected message.

Do not click links, download attachments or call a number supplied in a suspicious email or SMS. Never provide your eFiling password, one-time PIN or bank PIN to a caller, message sender or adviser.

1. Open an official SARS channel independently.

Log in through your normal eFiling path or the official SARS MobiApp, or use the SARS website. Check your correspondence and profile to see whether SARS has recorded a verification or update request.

1. Identify what is being verified.

Establish whether the issue is an identity check, security-contact update, new banking detail, existing bank-detail confirmation or another profile change. The correct steps and documents can depend on the type of change.

1. Use the official update route.

SARS describes eFiling processes for maintaining security contact details and bank details. Follow the on-screen steps and any required authentication only inside the official service. Keep a case number or confirmation when one is provided.

1. Follow the special route when both security contacts must change.

SARS says that where both the email address and mobile number need to be changed, the taxpayer should call SARS or book an appointment at a branch for identity verification. Do not attempt to work around that route by using somebody else's contact details.

1. Prepare only the evidence SARS requests through the official workflow.

A genuine workflow may request identity or bank-account evidence. Read the official case instruction carefully and send the documents only through the stated channel. Do not email sensitive records to an address supplied by an unverified message.

1. Keep confirmation and recheck the profile.

Save the update or verification confirmation, any case reference and copies of records supplied. Check the profile again once SARS indicates that the process is complete. Do not assume a change is accepted just because you entered new details.

Documents and records to keep

Keep a valid identity document and the bank-account evidence SARS requests in the confirmed official workflow. Keep a screenshot or reference number for the SARS request, confirmation of the update and any official correspondence.

Do not keep or send passwords, one-time PINs or bank PINs as part of an evidence pack. They are credentials, not supporting documents. If you have received a suspicious message, retain a safe record of it for reporting purposes, but do not open unsafe links or attachments.

Important limits and exceptions

This article cannot list one universal set of documents or authentication steps. SARS says the process depends on the service and type of update. Follow the exact instruction shown in your verified SARS workflow.

Do not treat a genuine verification request as permission for another person to manage your eFiling credentials. A tax practitioner can have authorised access through the proper process, but should not need your password or OTP.

The article also does not promise that verification will immediately release a refund or change an assessment. SARS must process and accept the update under its own controls.

When to get tailored advice

Get tailored help if the details concern a deceased taxpayer, estate, trust, company, shared account, non-resident taxpayer, representative authority or a rejected verification. These situations can raise additional authority and evidence questions.

TaxProof can help you organise the records and distinguish a confirmed SARS workflow from a suspicious message. SARS decides whether identity or banking details are accepted and whether the profile is updated.

Related TaxProof guides

• SARS verification, audit and tax debt response
• How do I check my SARS assessment and amount payable? (B01-IND-007)

Sources

• SARS, eFiling features
• SARS, Scams and phishing