Tax and SARS knowledge base
How do I share SARS eFiling access with a tax practitioner?
How do I authorise a tax practitioner to act for me on SARS eFiling?
Last reviewed:
Direct answer
SARS offers a shared-access function on eFiling so an individual can work with a tax practitioner without losing control or knowledge of their tax affairs. The taxpayer should log in to their own eFiling profile, select the appropriate tax type and access choice, then confirm the linked organisation and correspondence consequences. Do not share your password or one-time pin as a substitute for setting up access properly.
SARS describes shared access as a function that lets an individual retain full control and knowledge, even if a practitioner completes or submits returns on their behalf. It currently lists Income Tax, Provisional Tax, Income Tax Administrative Penalties and the Voluntary Disclosure Programme among the tax types for which shared access is available. That list and the screen wording can change, so follow the current profile prompts.
What this means in practice
Authorising a practitioner is not the same as giving them every credential you use online. A legitimate practitioner can have the access needed for the agreed work while you remain able to see your profile, correspondence and activity. This is helpful when a practitioner is preparing an ITR12, responding to an administrative item, or assisting with a particular tax type, but it also means you need to be deliberate about the access you activate.
Before changing anything, identify the person and firm independently. Use a known telephone number, existing engagement letter or verified website to confirm the practitioner you intend to appoint. Do not act on an email that says your accountant needs a code immediately, especially if it asks you to disclose your eFiling password or banking details. Shared access is designed to avoid that unsafe practice.
Decide exactly what help is needed. If a practitioner is assisting only with an individual income-tax return, focus on the Income Tax access relevant to that work. Do not select other tax types merely because the practitioner says it will be easier, unless you understand the reason and it forms part of your agreed engagement. Keep a record of the tax types selected and the kind of access shown on the confirmation screen.
SARS says that if you select full shared access, both you and the practitioner receive correspondence at the email addresses on the respective profiles. That can be useful because both parties see notices, but it is only useful if your email and mobile details are current and you monitor them. If you stop receiving SARS messages after a profile change, check your contact information and the shared-access arrangement promptly.
Step-by-step
- Confirm the practitioner and scope of work.
Obtain the legal name of the practice, the practitioner contact person and the purpose of the access. Ask which tax types are needed, how long the relationship will last and what records the practitioner expects from you.
- Sign in to your own eFiling profile.
Go to eFiling from the official SARS website and use your own log-in details. Complete security prompts yourself. A practitioner should not need your password or one-time pin to be properly linked.
- Open the tax-type access function.
SARS's shared-access guidance for an existing eFiler directs the user through Home, Tax Types and the option to edit access to tax types. Select the applicable tax type or types shown in the current system.
- Read the access choices carefully.
SARS explains the available shared-access options on its current page. Check which party will retain access, whether the practitioner will have full access and how correspondence will be handled. The labels in eFiling are the practical source for your selection.
- Confirm the linked organisation.
Review the practice or organisation shown before registering the choice. If the name is unfamiliar, stop and verify it independently. Keep a screenshot or reference of the successful activation.
- Review the work page afterwards.
SARS says both taxpayer and practitioner can view who access is shared with and, where relevant, the last update information from the work page. Revisit this periodically, especially after changing practitioners or completing a once-off filing job.
- Remove or change access when circumstances change.
If the engagement ends, use the current eFiling guidance to deactivate or alter the relevant tax type. Do not wait for a dispute, refund or filing deadline to discover that an old representative still has access.
Documents and records to keep
- A signed engagement letter or written record of the practitioner relationship.
- Practitioner and firm details independently verified by you.
- A note of the selected tax type, access option and date activated.
- Screenshots or confirmation references from eFiling.
- SARS correspondence sent while the practitioner relationship is active.
- Records of deactivation or any later change in access.
Important limits and exceptions
Shared access does not change the taxpayer's responsibility to ensure returns and information are accurate. It also does not make every service or tax type available to a practitioner. SARS's current shared-access page identifies the tax types that can use the function, and the taxpayer should not assume that an existing accountant relationship automatically creates the right eFiling link.
Correspondence is especially important. Full shared access can result in messages going to both email addresses. Make sure your own registered email is correct and continue to read SARS notices. A practitioner may assist you to respond, but ignoring a message because you assume someone else received it can create a filing or verification problem.
When to get tailored advice
Get tailored help if you cannot see the correct tax type, are changing from another practitioner, have an ongoing verification, dispute or payment issue, or do not understand the effect of the access option. A short review before you activate a broad permission can be much easier than undoing an incorrect profile arrangement later.