SARS Auto Assessment Is Wrong: What to Do
Short answer: Do not accept an auto-assessment that is missing something, such as a medical, retirement annuity or travel claim. Check it against your own documents and, if it is wrong, file your own return on eFiling before the deadline.
How it works
- Send the auto-assessment and your certificates and slips on WhatsApp.
- Ask "what do I owe" to see an estimate from your own documents to compare.
- If they differ, you or your tax practitioner file a corrected return on eFiling.
Do it on WhatsApp
Once you are set up, just say: "what do I owe SARS"
Frequently asked questions
What is a SARS auto-assessment?
A return SARS fills in for you from the data third parties send it, such as your employer, medical aid and bank.
What is usually missing?
Claims SARS has no third party data for, such as some travel, home office or medical costs you paid yourself.
What is the deadline to correct it?
For 2026 the non-provisional filing deadline is 23/10/2026. See the 2026 filing season.
Related
General information and estimates, not tax advice. OptiTax prepares and organises; you or your registered tax practitioner submit to SARS. Last checked 19/10/2026.