Effective Date: 22 April 2024

EFILING

SARS External Guide

HOW TO REGISTER FOR

EFILING AND MANAGE YOUR
USER PROFILE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 SUMMARY 3
2 NEW LOOK 3
2.1 MIGRATION OF USERS 3
2.2 PORTFOLIOS 3
3 PASSWORD RULES 4
4 CONTACT DETAILS 4
5 ONE-TIME PIN (OTP) 4
6 CHAT WITH SARS 4
6.1 LWAZI THE CHATBOT 4
6.2 LIVE CHAT 5
7 REGISTRATION ON EFILING 5
7.1 HOW TO REGISTER AS A NEW USER ON EFILING 5
7.2 REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO FINALISE REGISTRATION 6
7.3 AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION FOR INCOME TAX 9
8 FIRST TIME LOGIN 10
8.1 FIRST TIME LOGIN FOR EFILING USERS REGISTERED ON/AFTER 1 JULY 2019 10
8.2 FIRST TIME LOGIN FOR EFILING USER REGISTERED BEFORE 1 JULY 2019 13
8.3 ACCESS TO MY PROFILE 16
9 PROFILE AND PREFERENCE SETUP 16
9.1 CHANGE SECURITY CONTACT DETAILS: 17
9.2 CHANGE USER NAME AND PASSWORD: 17
9.3 TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION USING A ONE TIME PIN 17
9.4 TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION USING THE EFILING MOBILE APP 18
9.5 PASSWORDLESS LOGIN 20
10 PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT 21
11 MANAGE USERS ON AN ORGANISATION OR TAX PRACTITIONER PORTFOLIO 23
11.1INVITE, EDIT AND DELETE A USER ON A PORTFOLIO 23
11.2ACCEPT INVITE TO BE A USER ON A PORTFOLIO 27
12 MANAGE GROUPS 28
13 MANAGE TAXPAYERS ON AN ORGANISATION OR TAX PRACTITIONER PORTFOLIO 29
14 MANAGE TAX TYPES 33
14.1INDIVIDUALS 33
14.2ORGANISATIONS AND TAX PRACTITIONERS 34
15 ACTIVATE REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVE 41
16 TAX PRACTITIONER CONFIGURATION 42
16.1PRACTITIONER ACTIVATION 42
16.2DELEGATE PRACTITIONER AUTHORITY 43
16.3CONFIRM PRACTITIONER REGISTRATION STATUS 44
17 SARS CORRESPONDENCE 45
18 FORGOT PASSWORD 46
19 FORGOT USERNAME 47
20 DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT 49

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1 SUMMARY
a) The purpose of this document is to assist clients to register for eFiling and manage their eFiling
profiles.

b) eFiling is a free electronic tool designed by SARS to offer electronic services such as filing tax returns,
making payments and accessing accounts to name a few. It allows you the benefit of direct, secure
and real-time electronic access to your tax profile as well as the opportunity to manage this at any time
and from anywhere.

c) You must be linked to a tax type (e.g. income tax) in order to have full access to the services on
eFiling and to transact.

d) SARS values you, the taxpayer. In order to protect your tax account(s), please note that not all
services are offered online. Services such as change of name and surname must be done at a SARS
office.

2 NEW LOOK
a) SARS redesigned eFiling in an effort to embrace the benefits of emerging technologies and provide an
optimized and secure digital environment. The new look is also intended to help promote voluntary
compliance, reduce the administrative burden and provide you, our valued client, with a more intuitive
and user-friendly experience.

b) Changes include:

i) Alignment to SARS’ corporate identity

ii) Improved security to safeguard against fraud
iii) Implementation of a primary user-id (single login) to access all profiles
iv) Profile management (e.g. Organisations and Tax Practitioners)
v) A dashboard providing the eFiler with a visual summary of his/her tax affairs at a glance.

2.1 MIGRATION OF USERS

a) All eFiling users registered prior to 1 July 2019 will be authenticated and migrated to one single user
sign on. If you had multiple login profiles linked to your identity/passport number, a list of your profiles
will display (after you have been authenticated). You will be required to choose a primary login from
the list. All your profiles will still be accessible once you logged in with your primary credentials. You
can link your other logins as “Portfolios” to your profile.

2.2 PORTFOLIOS

a) A registered eFiler can act in different “roles” on eFiling (e.g. tax administrator). These “roles” are
referred to as Portfolio Types. For example:

i) Individual – a person acting as himself/herself to administer his/her own individual taxes

ii) Tax Practitioner – a person registered with SARS and a Recognised Controlling Body (RCB)
and has a signed power of attorney to act on behalf of another taxpayer.
iii) Organisation – a representative of a tax paying entity acting either as the representative
taxpayer (e.g. public officer, executor of an estate, etc.) or an appointed representative with a
signed Power of Attorney in place.

b) eFilers with a Tax Practitioner and Organisation portfolio type can:

i) Activate multiple taxpayers against that portfolio type

ii) Group taxpayers under the same portfolio type

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iii) Specify a descriptive name for each group (for ease of reference).

c) If you registered different portfolio types prior to 1 July 2019, you would have accessed each of the
abovementioned portfolios with a unique username and password. As from 1 July 2019, you only
require one username and password (referred to as the primary login) to login to eFiling. You can then
choose the portfolio that you want to access.

3 PASSWORD RULES
a) When creating or changing a password on eFiling please ensure that the password contains a
minimum of 8 characters and at least one of the following:

i) uppercase letter
ii) lowercase letter
iii) special character
iv) numeric digit.

4 CONTACT DETAILS
a) You must provide a valid email address and cell phone number to utilise the eFiling service. This will
serve as your eFiling security contact details and will be used to send a One-Time-Pin (OTP) to
authenticate you.

b) Note: If our system identifies that the email address or cell phone number entered has already been
provided by an eFiler and is actively in use, an error message will display. Please insert alternate
contact details to continue or book an appointment with a SARS office for further assistance.

5 ONE-TIME PIN (OTP)

a) The OTP is a unique 6-digit security PIN and you will be required to enter this pin as confirmation
when performing certain functions on eFiling.

i) You can choose to receive an OTP via SMS or via an email address. Your preferred method of
communication for the OTP can be maintained via your eFiling profile.
ii) For security reasons, the OTP is time-sensitive and you will be required to enter it within the
time period indicated. If you are unable to enter the OTP within the specified time, you may
request for it to be resent to you.
iii) For your security, you can only opt to resend an OTP twice.

6 CHAT WITH SARS

6.1 LWAZI THE CHATBOT

a) Lwazi the chatbot is a virtual assistant that provides automated answers to general queries.

b) The chat bot icon appears on the bottom right side of your screen.

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i) Click on the chatbot icon to ask a question:

ii) Type a question in the input text-box
iii) Click on the send/arrow button on your screen or press <Enter> on your keyboard to submit the
question
iv) Lwazi, the virtual assistant, will process your request and display the answers on your screen.

c) The following personal income tax services can also be requested via the virtual assistant. Note, you
will be prompted to provide certain information (e.g. ID number, email, cell number) to enable us to
authenticate you for the required service:

i) Request Tax Reference Number

ii) Request Statement of Account
iii) Request Refunds Status
iv) Request Audit Status
v) Request Notice of Assessment
vi) Request Call Back

6.2 LIVE CHAT

a) The Live Chat service allows you to chat with a SARS service agent in real-time via eFiling and the
SARS MobiApp instead of having to call the SARS Contact Centre, visiting a Branch Office, or sending
an email.

b) The Live Chat icon appears on the bottom right side of your screen.

c) For more information please refer to the following guide on the SARS website: “IT-AE-50-G01 - How to
Resolve Queries via SARS Live Chat”

7 REGISTRATION ON EFILING

7.1 HOW TO REGISTER AS A NEW USER ON EFILING

a) Log on to the SARS website. On the top right side of the home page is a list of SARS eFiling options.

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b) Select <Register>

i) Complete your personal details and click on <Next>

ii) Complete your contact details
A) Note: If our system identifies that the same contact details has already been provided by
an eFiler and is actively in use, an error message will display. Please insert alternate
contact details to continue or contact SARS for further assistance.
iii) Complete your preferred username and password and click on <Submit>
iv) Once the registration information you have entered is successfully matched with the SARS
records, you will be presented with the One-Time-Pin (OTP) screen
v) Please enter the OTP sent to either your cell number or your email address
vi) If the time period to enter the OTP expires you can click on <Resend OTP>. Note: for your security
you can only select this option twice
vii) If you do not complete the OTP process successfully, you will have to start the registration process
again
viii) Once you have successfully entered the OTP, the eFiling Login Screen will display (refer to the
section on ‘First Time Login’ below).

Please Note:

• If we cannot match the personal details that you entered, we may ask you a few random
questions to authenticate you.

• If you have multiple income tax numbers or your income tax number is inactive/coded as a
deceased estate or you are only registered for VAT/PAYE and not for income tax, you will be
required to first visit your nearest SARS branch office to register for income tax or activate your
income tax number.

• If our system identifies you as a registered eFiler, you will either have the option to login with
your existing eFiling profile or recover your password (if you cannot remember it).

• If your tax number is already registered against another party’s eFiling profile (e.g. a tax
practitioner), you have the option to obtain shared access or revoke the other party’s access.

7.2 REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO FINALISE REGISTRATION

a) If we are unable to finalise your eFiling registration immediately we may request additional information
before we issue an OTP to you. Please follow the steps below in order for us to finalise your eFiling
registration as soon as possible.

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b) A message will display confirming your registration request and prompting you to upload supporting
documents in order to finalise your eFiling registration.

i) A case number will be allocated to you. Please quote this number when contacting SARS to follow
up on the progress of your eFiling registration.
ii) If you are logged out, please use the username and password that you provided during the
registration process.
iii) Please note: You will have 21 business days to upload the required documents.
iv) Click on <Continue>.

c) The Registration Workpage will display. Click on <Upload> to upload the required supporting
documents.

i) The file size may not exceed 5mb.

ii) The following file types will be accepted:
A) .doc
B) .jpeg
C) .png
D) .docx
E) .jpg
F) .xls
G) .jiff
H) .pdf
I) .xlsx
iii) Follow the screen prompts to upload the documents.
iv) The document file names must be unique. If you upload more than one file with the same name,
an error message will display.
v) Please ensure that you upload all the documents requested by SARS before you click on the
<Submit>. Once the documents are submitted you will not be able to add more documents unless
you receive a new request from SARS
vi) After you have uploaded the documents, click on <Continue>.

d) SARS will receive the case for review. You can log in with your username and password at any time to
view the status of your registration (e.g. awaiting supporting document, documents submitted).

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e) Once SARS has verified your details, the status will change to ‘Request Successful’ and you will be
notified via email and SMS.

i) Click on the <Complete Registration> button.

ii) Select your preferred method of communication and click on <Continue>. The method you select
will serve as your eFiling security contact details and will be used to send a One-Time-Pin (OTP)
to authenticate you. Please enter the OTP sent to either your cell number or your email address.

f) When you have successfully entered the OTP, the eFiling Login Screen will display (refer to the section
on ‘First Time Login’ below).

Please Note:

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You may be requested to complete your address details in the following instances:

• To assist us to automatically register you for income tax

• If you are already registered for income tax and we cannot match the details you entered with
the SARS records.

7.3 AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION FOR INCOME TAX

a) When you register as a new eFiler, SARS will do the work for you and automatically issue a personal
income tax number to you if:

i) You are not yet registered for income tax

ii) You have a valid South African ID number.

b) A Notice of Registration will be available to you, should you need to provide a third party (e.g. an
employer) with proof of your income tax number.

c) After you have successfully registered for eFiling, login with your username and password, link the tax
number to your profile and follow the steps below to access your notice of registration:

i) Select <Home> from the menu on the top

ii) Select <SARS Registered Details> from the menu on the left
iii) Select <Notice of Registration>
iv) Click on <Request New>.

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8 FIRST TIME LOGIN

8.1 FIRST TIME LOGIN FOR EFILING USERS REGISTERED ON/AFTER 1 JULY 2019

a) Log on to the SARS website. On the top right side of the home page select <Login> from the list of
eFiling options.

i) Enter your eFiling Username and click on <Next>

ii) Enter your Password and click on <Login>

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b) The eFiling welcome screen will display. Please read the terms and conditions. At the bottom of the
screen click on <I Accept> to continue with the log in process.

c) You will be presented with a list of return types as per SARS records.

i) Please click on the <Link> button for each return type that you want to activate on your profile
ii) Click on <Remove> to remove a return type from your profile
iii) After you have selected the return type(s), click on <Submit>.

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d) The eFiling home page will display. This screen is also referred to as the eFiling Dashboard and
provides a visual summary of your current tax affairs with SARS with regard to compliance, outstanding
returns and account balance(s). You can also view your statement of account and any notifications sent
by SARS.

Please Note:

• If you have multiple income tax numbers or your income tax number is inactive/coded as a
deceased estate or you are only registered for VAT/PAYE and not for income tax, you will be
required to first contact a SARS branch office to register for income tax or activate your income
tax number.

• If your tax number is already registered against another party’s eFiling profile (e.g. a tax
practitioner), you have the option to obtain shared access or revoke the other party’s access.

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8.2 FIRST TIME LOGIN FOR EFILING USER REGISTERED BEFORE 1 JULY 2019

8.2.1 USER WITH SINGLE LOGIN PROFILE

a) Log on to the SARS website. On the top right side of the home page select <Login> from the list of
eFiling options.

i) Enter your eFiling Username and click on <Next>

ii) Enter your Password and click on <Login>.
iii) The eFiling welcome screen will display.
iv) Please read the terms and conditions. At the bottom of the screen click on <I Accept> to continue
with the log in process.

b) Select your preferred method of communication and click on <Continue>.

i) We will send a One-Time-Pin (OTP) to your preferred method of communication in order to

authenticate you
ii) Note: You can edit your contact details on this screen.

c) Please enter the OTP sent to either your cell number or your email address.

i) Once the correct OTP is entered, the eFiling home page will display.
ii) This screen is also referred to as the eFiling Dashboard and provides a visual summary of your
current tax affairs with SARS with regard to compliance, outstanding returns and account
balance(s). You can also view your statement of account and any notifications sent by SARS.

8.2.2 USER WITH MULTIPLE LOGIN PROFILES

a) Log on to the SARS website. On the top right side of the home page select <Login> from the list of
eFiling options.

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i) Enter your eFiling Username and click on <Next>

ii) Enter your Password and click on <Login>
iii) Please read and accept the terms and conditions (refer to the section above).

b) After you have accepted the terms and conditions, a screen will display with a list of all the login profiles
linked to your identity/passport number prior to 1 July 2019.

i) Please select the primary login name that you would prefer to use going forward. All your profiles
will still be accessible once you logged in with your primary credentials.

c) You will be prompted to enter the password if the primary login you selected (e.g. taxpayer111111 as
illustrated in the screen below) is different to the profile that you are currently logged in with (e.g.
taxpayer222222). If you do not remember the password, click on <Forgot Password> to reset it.

d) After you select the primary login, click on <Done>. On the next screen select your preferred method of
communication and click on <Continue>.

i) This will serve as your eFiling security contact details. We will send a One-Time-Pin (OTP) to your
preferred method of communication in order to authenticate you
ii) You can edit your contact details on this screen.

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e) Please enter the OTP sent to your cell number or email address. A message will display to confirm that
your primary login has been successfully set-up. Click on <Continue>.

f) The Portfolio Management screen will display for you to link, unlink or add portfolios. For more
information please refer to the Portfolio Management section below.

Please Note:

• After you select and confirm your primary login, you must only use that login to access eFiling.
If you attempt to login with any other portfolio that is linked to your identity/passport number,
the following error message will display:

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“According to our records you have already chosen your Primary Login. Please Login with
your Primary Login details and then activate your other profiles in the Portfolio Management
section on eFiling.”

• If you are an individual with multiple logins and you try to login with the username that is not
linked to your personal income tax number, the following message will display:

“Our records indicate that your own personal income tax is associated to one of your other
existing Login details. Due to improved security measures implemented, please authenticate
this profile by providing the applicable password below. Note – should you not be able to
authenticate this profile now, you may be required to do so at a later stage to gain access to
certain online transactions.”

8.3 ACCESS TO MY PROFILE

a) When you log in for the first time and your tax number(s) is already registered against another party’s
eFiling profile (e.g. a tax practitioner), the system will display the name of the party who has access to
the tax type. You have the option to obtain shared access or revoke the other party’s access.

b) Select the type of access you require (see below) and click on <Submit>:

i) <Obtain View Only Shared Access> - this option will only allow you to view transactions done
on your behalf on eFiling
ii) <Obtain Full Shared Access> - this option will allow you to have full shared access and the
other party will still retain access rights to the tax type
iii) <Remove Tax Practitioner Access>
iv) <Remove My Access> - This option will display if you currently have shared access with your
tax practitioner
v) <Deactivate Tax Type>

9 PROFILE AND PREFERENCE SETUP

a) This function is used to manage your primary login details, security contact details, two-factor
authentication and passwordless login (each item is discussed in the sub-sections below). You cannot
change your tax reference number and identity/passport number on this screen.

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9.1 CHANGE SECURITY CONTACT DETAILS:

a) Select <My Profile> from the menu on the left and click on <Profile and Preference Setup>

i) Scroll down to the section <Security Contact Details>

ii) Insert your new email address and/or your new cell number.
A) Note: If our system identifies that the same contact details has already been provided by
an eFiler and is actively in use, an error message will display. Please insert alternate
contact details to continue or contact SARS for further assistance.
iii) Select your preferred method of communication
iv) Click on <Update & Save>
v) On the pop-up screen that displays, select your preferred method of communication to receive
the One-Time-Pin number
vi) After you have entered the correct OTP, a message will display confirming that your security
contact details have been updated successfully.

9.2 CHANGE USER NAME AND PASSWORD:

a) Select <My Profile> from the menu on the left and click on <Profile and Preference Setup>

i) Scroll to the section <Your Login Details>

ii) Insert your new username (you may use your email address as your username)
iii) Insert your new password
iv) Insert your new password again to confirm it
v) Click on <Update & Save>
vi) An OTP will be sent to your preferred method of communication
vii) After you have entered the correct OTP, a message will display confirming that your username
and password have been updated successfully.

9.3 TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION USING A ONE TIME PIN

a) Two-factor authentication is an additional security measure and requires you to provide your password
as well as a second factor of authentication to login to eFiling. If you prefer to use the OTP method for
additional authentication follow the steps below:

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b) Select <My Profile> from the menu on the left and click on <Profile and Preference Setup>

i) Click on the button to switch ‘Two-factor authentication’ on

ii) Select <One time pin to preferred method of communication>
iii) Click on <Update and Save>
iv) An OTP will be sent to your preferred method of communication
v) After you have entered the correct OTP, a pop-up message will display confirming that your
two-factor authentication has been successfully activated.
vi) Going forward, you will be required to do the following each time you log on to your profile via
the eFiling website:
A) Enter username
B) Enter password
C) Enter OTP.

9.4 TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION USING THE EFILING MOBILE APP

a) If you prefer to use the mobile app for additional authentication, please download the SARS Mobile
App from your app store. Once you have downloaded the app onto your device, follow the steps
described below.

b) Log on to the eFiling website:

i) Select <My Profile> from the menu on the left and click on <Profile and Preference Setup>
ii) Click on the button to switch ‘Two-factor authentication’ on
iii) Select <eFiling Mobile App Authentication>
iv) Click on the <Enrol Device> button

v) You will be issued with an OTP to confirm the device you want to enrol
vi) A pop-up screen will display with a QR Code and instructions. Please ensure that you only click
the <OK> button on this screen after the device enrolment is completed (refer to step c below)
else the device will not be added to your eFiling profile.

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c) Launch the mobile app on your device:

i) Click on the ellipses ( ⋮ ) on the top right corner of the screen to display the menu
ii) Select <Enrol Device>
iii) Use your device to scan the QR code displayed on the eFiling website
iv) Once the QR Code is scanned successfully, a message will display to confirm that your device
has been enrolled
v) Click on the <Finish> button to complete the enrolment
vi) The device will automatically be added as part of your linked devices on eFiling
vii) For more information on how to use the app please refer to the ‘Guide to the SARS MobiApp’
which is available on the SARS website.

d) After the device has been enrolled, you will be required to do the following each time you log on to the
eFiling website:

i) Enter username
ii) Enter password (the “Two Factor Authentication” timer will display)
iii) Click on <Approve> on your mobile device to authorise the request before the timer expires.
You will be logged in to the eFiling website.

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Please Note:

• A device can only be enrolled on one eFiling profile at a time. If you try to enrol a device that is
already linked to another eFiling profile, an error message with display. If you would like to enrol
the device on a another eFiling profile:
 Logon to the existing eFiling profile > Navigate to the Two Factor Authentication function
> click on the ellipses ( ⋮ ) menu and select the option to remove the device.
 Logon to the new eFiling profile > Navigate to the Two Factor Authentication function >
Follow the steps above to enrol the device.

• If two factor authentication is activated on your eFiling profile and you uninstall the mobile app
or clear the app data, you will no longer receive the authorisation notification on your mobile
device (even though the eFiling website will display the two factor authentication “timer”). In
this instance:
 Select <Use OTP> on the two factor authentication timer screen to log on
 Remove the device from your profile
 Reinstall the mobile app and enrol the device again.

9.5 PASSWORDLESS LOGIN

a) Passwordless Login enables you to use your mobile device to approve the eFiling login request
instead of typing in your password.

b) Please download the SARS Mobile App from your app store. Once you have downloaded the app onto
your device, follow the steps described below.

c) Log on to the eFiling website:

i) Click on <My Profile> on the menu on the left and select <Profile and Preference Setup>
ii) Select the button to switch on <Passwordless Login>
iii) Select <eFiling Mobile App Authentication>
iv) Click on the <Enrol Device> button. A pop-up screen will display with a QR Code and
instructions.

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d) Launch the mobile app on your device. Follow the steps described in the section “Two-Factor
Authentication Using the eFiling Mobile App” to enrol your device.

Please Note:

• You can either switch on Passwordless Login or Two-factor Authentication on your profile,
however both can never be switched on at the same time.

10 PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
a) The Portfolio Management function is used to link, and add various portfolios (roles) on your eFiling
profile, such as:

i) Your individual portfolio to manage your own personal taxes

ii) Multiple company portfolios if you are the registered representative (e.g. public officer) or
employee and you manage the taxes of those companies
iii) Multiple tax practitioner portfolios if you manage the taxes of multiple individuals/entities as a
tax practitioner.

b) You can also opt to have all your roles merged into one company or tax practitioner profile.

c) Once you have logged on to eFiling:

i) Select <My Profile> from the menu on the left

ii) Select <Portfolio Management>.
iii) The Portfolio Management screen will display for you to link, unlink, or add portfolios.

d) You will be prompted to enter the password for each portfolio that you want to link.

i) If you do not remember the password, click on <Forgot Password> to reset it

ii) After you enter the correct password, a message will display to confirm that the portfolio has
been linked.

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e) You can set a default portfolio for the system to automatically display this portfolio when you login to
eFiling. To change the default portfolio, click on the ellipses ( ) menu icon and then either select <Set
as Default> or <Remove Default>.

i) You can only have one default portfolio

ii) Portfolios that are not linked cannot be set as a default profile.

f) To change the portfolio type, click on the ellipses ( ) menu icon and select <Change Portfolio
Type>.

i) Select the portfolio type (i.e. Individual / Tax Practitioner / Organisation) from the drop down
menu and click on <Save>
ii) You can have multiple Tax Practitioner and Organisation portfolios on your profile
iii) You can only have one Individual portfolio linked to your profile.

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iv) You can rename your portfolios for your ease of reference. Click on the ellipses ( ) menu icon
and select <Rename>. Insert the new description for the portfolio and click on <Save>.

g) To link a new portfolio to your profile, click on the <Add Portfolio> button. On the pop-up screen,
insert the portfolio name, select the <Portfolio Type> and click on <Add Portfolio>

i) You can choose to set the new portfolio as your default

ii) You can add taxpayers and users to this portfolio.

11 MANAGE USERS ON AN ORGANISATION OR TAX PRACTITIONER PORTFOLIO

11.1 INVITE, EDIT AND DELETE A USER ON A PORTFOLIO

a) This function is used to add new users to a portfolio, grant access to tax types, set the required levels
of authorisation for each user and delete users.

b) To successfully add users to portfolios, actions are required from both the following parties:

i) The Requestor – this refers to an existing user that has the ‘Manage User’ role assigned to
him/her and wants to invite another person to be a user and have access to the organisation or
tax practitioner portfolio.
ii) The User – this refers to the person (e.g. a tax practitioner’s employee) who has been invited to
have access to one or more taxpayers that are managed by the requestor.

c) To access the required Organisation or Tax Practitioner portfolio:

i) Select <My Profile> and <Portfolio Management> from the menu on the left
ii) Click on <Go to Portfolio>.

d) Once you have selected the required Portfolio:

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i) Select <User> from the menu on the top

ii) Select <User> again from menu on the left
iii) Select <Invite User>
iv) Complete the following information for the user you are inviting
A) Identification Type
B) Passport or ID Number
C) Tax Reference Number (only applicable if identification type is passport)
D) Surname
E) The default Organisation or Tax Practitioner Portfolio name that you want the user to view
on his/her portfolio upon accepting your invite
v) Click on <Invite>.

e) Select the roles (i.e. permissions) that you want to assign to the user.

i) Examples of roles:
A) ‘Manage Transfer Duty Financial Account’ (allows users to maintain all financial detail
against the Transfer Duty account)
B) ‘SARS Registration’ (allows users to register taxpayers with SARS to obtain tax reference
numbers)
C) ‘RLA – View Customs Product information’ (allows users to only view information such as
address, contact and bank account details and information relating to their specific client
type(s) e.g. importer/exporter)
D) ‘RLA - View Client Type (allows users to only view information relating to their specific
client type(s) e.g. importer/exporter)
E) ‘RLA – Manage Customs Product information’ (allows users to view and change
information such as address, contact and bank account details and also change
information relating to their specific client type(s) e.g. importer/exporter)
F) ‘RLA - Manage Client Type’ (allows users to only view and change information relating to
their specific client type(s))
G) ‘Manage Users’ (allows users to add & change users and assign them to groups)
H) ‘Manage Taxpayers’ (allows users to add & change taxpayers and assign them to groups)
I) ‘Manage Groups’ (allows users to create & change groups and assign users and payers
to groups)
J) ‘Manage Excise Financial Account’ (allows users to maintain all financial detail against an
Excise Account)
K) ‘Manage Deferment Account’
L) ‘ISV Activation’ (allows users access to the ISV activation screen)
M) ‘Directives’ (allows users to access the tax directives functionality)

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N) ‘Perform Bulk and Additional Payments’ (allows users without full admin rights access to
perform bulk and additional payments).
ii) Click on <Continue>
iii) A summary of the roles selected will display. Click on <Continue>.
iv) The invite will be sent to the user. You will be notified via email or SMS once the user accepts
the invite.

f) Select <Change Details> from the menu on the left to do any of the following:

i) Send Reminder – this option will resend the notification to the user to remind him/her to accept
the invite.
ii) Cancel Invitation – this option will delete the invite, remove the user on the requestor’s portfolio
and also remove the requestor’s profile from the user’s portfolio management screen.
iii) Update User Rights – use this option to edit roles (permissions) assigned to the user.

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g) Select <Delete User> from the menu on the left to remove a user from an existing portfolio.

i) Insert a reason for deleting the user

ii) Click on <Delete User>
iii) On the pop-up message click on <OK> to confirm your request.

Please Note:

• Only a person with an existing eFiling profile can be added as a user on a portfolio. Once an
invite is sent by the requestor, the user will receive an SMS and email notification with
instructions on how to accept the invite.

• A requestor will not be allowed to invite a user should any of the following conditions apply:

 SARS cannot find a match for the user details entered

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 The user registered for eFiling prior to 1 July 2019 and has not yet logged in to set up
his/her profile on the new eFiling website
 The user has not yet completed his/her eFiling registration
 The user already exists on the portfolio he/she is being invited to.

11.2 ACCEPT INVITE TO BE A USER ON A PORTFOLIO

a) SMS and email notifications will be sent to the person who has been invited to be a user on an
organisation or tax practitioner’s portfolio.

b) Log on to your eFiling profile.

i) Select <My Profile>

ii) Select <Portfolio Management>
iii) The User Invitation will display. Click on <Accept>.

c) As part of the authentication process, you will be prompted to enter the One-Time-Pin (OTP) sent to
your preferred method of contact. Once the OTP is successfully entered, a pop message will display to
confirm that the organisation/tax practitioner profile will be linked to your profile.

Please Note:

• The invite from the requestor will automatically expire if not accepted by the user within 5
working days.

• If the invite expires, the record will be deleted on both the requestor’s and user’s portfolio.

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• A notification will be sent to the requestor to notify him/her that the invite has expired. The
requestor can opt to send a new invite.

12 MANAGE GROUPS
a) In order to activate the tax type functions and services on eFiling (e.g. Tax Directives, Tax Compliance
Status, etc) you must ensure that the correct rights and authorisation levels have been allocated to
users on your organisation’s portfolio.

b) To activate the tax type functions and services:

i) Select <Organisations> from the menu on the top

ii) Select <Organisation> again from menu on the left
iii) Click on <Rights Group>
iv) Click on <Manage Groups>
v) The <Group Details> screen will display.
A) Click on the <Setup New Group> button to create a new group (e.g. Return
Submissions)
B) Click on the <Manage Payers> hyperlink to add Taxpayers (activated on your
organisation’s portfolio) to a specific group
C) Click on the <Manage Users> hyperlink to add users on your organisation’s portfolio to a
specific group (for more information refer to the section on manage users).

c) To amend the details of an existing group click on the <Open> hyperlink:

i) Edit the <Group Name> where applicable

ii) Select the applicable <Authorisation Level>:
A) View Only: This will allow you to only have view access
B) Completions: You will only be able to view and complete forms or applications
C) Submissions: You will be allowed to view, complete and submit forms (e.g. tax directive
applications)
iii) Select the applicable tax types to be activated (e.g. Directives, Tax Reference Number, Tax
Compliance Status, etc.)
iv) Click <Update> to activate the specific tax type functionality required. You also have the option
to <Delete Group>.

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13 MANAGE TAXPAYERS ON AN ORGANISATION OR TAX PRACTITIONER

PORTFOLIO
a) To manage taxpayer types linked to a portfolio:

i) Select <Organisations> from the menu on the top

ii) Select <Organisation> from menu on the left.

b) To amend details of an existing taxpayer on your portfolio select <Change Details> from the menu on
the left.

c) To add a new taxpayer/entity type to your portfolio:

i) Select <Register New> from the menu on the left

ii) Select the <Entity Type> from the drop down list (e.g. Individual, Company, Trust, Individual
Non-SA, Fund/Other)
iii) If you are registering a Trust and the Trust Type is ‘Intervivos Trust’ or ‘Testamentary Trust’ or
‘Estate CGT Trust’ or ‘Special Trust’, you must provide the trust registration number issued by
the Master of the High Court. A trust registration number is not required if the Trust Type is
‘Non Resident Foreign Trust’ or ‘Collective Investment Scheme’.

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d) The registration fields displayed will differ according to the type of entity selected (see screens below)

i) Complete the applicable fields and click on <Add Taxpayer>

ii) On the pop-up screen select the group(s) to which the taxpayer should be added (for more
information refer to the section on Manage Groups)
iii) A summary of the new taxpayer’s details will display. Click on <Done>
iv) Refer to the section on Manage Tax Types for more information on how to activate return/tax
types for a taxpayer.

e) Information required to add an Individual:

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f) Information required to add a Company:

g) Information required to add a Fund/Other

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h) Information required to add an Individual who is a non-South African

i) Information required to add a Trust and Trust Type.

i) A trust deed number is not applicable to Non-resident (Foreign) Trusts or Collective Investment
Schemes)

Please Note:

• You will only have access to the ‘Register New’ function if the Manage Taxpayer rights have
been assigned to you

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• The system will display a message if the taxpayer you want to add already exists on another
portfolio where you also have the “manage taxpayer rights”. You will have the option to add the
taxpayer to the current portfolio

14 MANAGE TAX TYPES

a) The purpose of this function is to enable the following:

i) Activation/Deactivation of specific tax types – In order to transact on eFiling (e.g. submit

returns, make payments, request statement of account) the applicable tax type must be
activated on your profile
ii) Transfer of tax types (personal income tax and provisional tax) between taxpayers, tax
practitioners and registered representatives on eFiling.

b) The owner/registered representative of that tax number must approve the transfer in order to complete
the process.

14.1 INDIVIDUALS

a) To activate/deactivate tax types on your individual portfolio:

i) Click on <Home>
ii) Select <User> from the menu on the left
iii) Select <Tax Types> and then click on <Manage Tax Types>
iv) A list of taxes you are registered for will display.
v) Select the items that you want to activate/deactivate. Click on <Submit>.
vi) A summary of the actions will display. Click on <Continue> to confirm the action.

b) If your tax type is activated with another party (e.g. tax practitioner), you can navigate to the <Manage
Tax Types> function and select one of the following options at any time:

i) <Remove Tax Practitioner Access>

ii) <Obtain Full Shared Access>
iii) <Obtain View Only Shared Access>

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14.2 ORGANISATIONS AND TAX PRACTITIONERS

a) To activate/deactivate tax types for taxpayers on your portfolio, click on the ellipses ( ) menu icon

i) Search for the specific taxpayer using the name, registration number, ID number or tax reference
number
ii) Click on the <View Taxpayer> button. This option will load the existing taxpayer details.

b) The ‘Tax Types Details’ screen will display with the following buttons:

i) <Edit contact details> – used to update eFiling correspondence details only. To update your
security contact details please use the <Profile and preference setup> function
ii) <Manage Tax Types> – used to activate/deactivate specific taxes that you represent the client
for
iii) <Access Rights> – used to add the taxpayer to a group if you have the manage taxpayer rights.

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c) Click on <Manage Tax Types>. A table will display with the following information:

i) List of tax types linked to the selected taxpayer

ii) Reference numbers
iii) Activation Status
iv) Action that can be selected for that number (e.g. request activation, request tax type transfer,
deactivate)

14.2.1 Request Activation or Transfer of Tax Type

a) Select the tick-boxes for the applicable actions required (example: “Request Activation” or “Request Tax
Type Transfer

i) Click on the <Submit> button.

ii) A screen will display with the summary of the actions you selected. Click on <Continue>

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b) The status of the request will change to awaiting authorisation and will require the current
owner/representative of the tax number to approve the request in order to complete the process.

c) If the owner/representative approves the request, the status will change to “Successfully Activated”.

14.2.2 Approve Request for Tax Type Activation or Transfer

a) A notification will be sent to the current owner/representative to inform him/her:

i) Of the transfer request, and

ii) The steps to follow to action the request

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b) The owner/registered representative must follow the steps below to action the request and complete the
process.

i) Log on to the SARS website and select on <Manage Access Requests>

ii) On the <Tax Type Transfer/ Shared Access Request> screen select yes or no to indicate if you
are a South Africa Citizen
A) Insert your own identification number
B) Insert the tax number for which the transfer is requested.
C) Click on <Submit>
iii) As part of the authentication process, you will be required to enter a One-Time-Pin (OTP) to
authorise or decline the transaction.
iv) Insert the OTP sent to your email or cell number

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c) Read the declaration and the details of the party requesting the tax type transfer and print the Power of
Attorney

i) Select <Authorise> or <Decline>

ii) Click on <Submit>
iii) After you have authorised or declined the request, click on <Return to SARS Website>.

d) If you are a registered eFiler, you can log on to eFiling to view a list of tax type requests that require
your authorisation:

i) Navigate to the <Manage Tax Types> function

ii) Click on <View Requests for this Entity>

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Please Note:

• When a taxpayer or registered representative authorises the transfer request, the tax type will
move from the holding party (e.g. old tax practitioner) to the requesting party (e.g. new tax
practitioner). If the taxpayer or registered representative has shared access with the holding
party, shared access will be established with the requesting party.

• When a taxpayer or registered representative rejects the initial transfer request the requesting
tax practitioner will be allowed up to two more retry options to request the tax type transfer.
If the two retries are exhausted, the tax practitioner will not be allowed to submit any further
tax type transfer requests for that particular taxpayer for a period of 21 business days

• If you have multiple portfolios, you can transfer tax types between portfolios:

 We will check if the portfolio/profile has ‘Manage Payer Rights’ on both the requesting
and holding portfolio. Once verified the tax type will be transferred immediately.

• Where the owner or registered representative does not approve the request for tax type transfer
after 5 working days, 3 reminders will be sent. If there is no action from the owner or registered
representative after the last reminder is sent, the request to transfer the tax type will expire.

• A tax type transfer will be disallowed if:

 You are not a registered tax practitioner

 You are not the registered representative for that taxpayer
 You are a user with the ‘Manage Payer Rights’ but you are not the registered
representative/valid tax practitioner of the individual whose provisional tax or personal
income tax type is being requested.

14.2.3 Tax Types Legacy

a) The legacy menu items will be available for a temporary period and is intended to allow users to
view/monitor requests made via the previous Tax Type Transfer functionality (prior to the implementation
of the Manage Tax Type function).

b) To access the legacy requests

i) Select <Organisations > from the menu on the top.

ii) Select <Organisation> from the menu on the left
iii) Select <Tax Types> from the menu on the left

c) <Legacy Activation Requests> - this function is read-only and allows you to view tax types previously
activated for a particular taxpayer

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d) <Legacy Transfer Requests> - this function allows you to access the list of previous tax type transfer
requests.

i) You can open individual requests

ii) Where applicable you can capture an override code that was sent for a legacy request (prior to
the implementation of the Manage Tax Types function)
iii) You will not be able to create any new tax type transfer requests.

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e) <Legacy Pending Registration> - There may be cases where SARS needs to review a request before
activating the particular tax type for eFiling. In this instance the status of the tax type activation will be
“Awaiting Registration Verification” and a case number will be allocated to you. You can use this function
to view the pending registration requests.

i) Select the option for all taxpayers

ii) Click on the <Open> hyperlink
iii) You can view the taxpayer’s details and click on <Query Status> to view the progress of the
eFiling registration.

15 ACTIVATE REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVE

a) If you are the appointed registered representative for an entity, you must activate the status on eFiling
in order to transact on behalf of your client.

i) Select <Organisations > from the menu on the top.

ii) Select <SARS Registered Details> from the menu on the left
iii) Select <Activate Registered Representative>
iv) Select the applicable option (i.e. Tax Practitioner or Registered Representative)
v) Agree to the declaration confirming that you are the authorised representative for the taxpayer
and click on <Continue>
vi) Complete the applicable fields and select the representative capacity (e.g. accounting officer,
curator, public officer, parent guardian, etc.)
vii) Click the on the activate button at the bottom of the screen

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16 TAX PRACTITIONER CONFIGURATION

a) This functionality enables tax practitioners to confirm their tax practitioner status at SARS and allow tax
practitioners to link practitioner users to other activated practitioner user profiles.

b) If a user is not a confirmed practitioner or has not been linked to a practitioner user, access to ITR12
returns will be limited to only a “SAVE” functionality. This means that the tax practitioner or practitioner
user will not be able to submit the ITR12 returns to SARS and the taxpayer will have to either submit
the return via eFiling (if he/she has shared access to the ITR12 with the tax practitioner) or the taxpayer
will have to contact a SARS branch office for assistance to submit the return.

c) To access this functionality, click on <Services> on the menu on the top and select <My TP
Configuration> from the menu on the left.

16.1 PRACTITIONER ACTIVATION

a) Select <Practitioner Activation> from the menu on the left

i) The Tax Practitioner Declaration will display. Read the declaration, select <I agree> click on
the <Continue> button
ii) On the <Activate Tax Practitioner> screen enter a valid practitioner number in the tax
practitioner number field and click on the <Confirm My Tax Practitioner Status> button.

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Please Note:

• If the tax practitioner number is inactive and does not match with SARS, the status field will
indicate “Unconfirmed”. Tax practitioners are encouraged to register with RCB’s and ensure
that they are registered as a tax practitioner with SARS.

• If the tax practitioner number is valid and matches with SARS, the status field will indicate
“Registered”.

• If you wish to validate the status of an existing PR number on the profile, select the “Reconfirm
Status” button. A message will display indicating that you have been successfully confirmed
as a registered tax practitioner.

16.2 DELEGATE PRACTITIONER AUTHORITY

a) Tax practitioners are allowed to link practitioner users to other activated practitioner users and thereby
delegate authority. This is typically in cases whereby staff members of an organisation are performing
functions on eFiling on behalf of the tax practitioner.

i) Select < Delegate Practitioner Authority > from the menu on the left
ii) If the tax practitioner has not been activated against the eFiling profile, the following message will
display. To activate, refer to “Practitioner Activation” step above.

b) If the tax practitioner has been activated and the status indicates “Registered”, the <Delegate User
Authority> page will display.

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c) Choose the “PR number” that you want to delegate authority to:

i) Administrators or the registered tax practitioner may perform actions on this page
 The admin user on eFiling will be able to view all linked practitioners in the dropdown.
 If it is the user on eFiling, only his/her practitioner (PR) number will display on the dropdown
list for selection.
ii) Once the PR number has been chosen, click on <Select>
iii) A list of users will display. Select the users and click on the <Save> button to continue
iv) Click on <OK> to confirm the selection. A message will display to indicate that the users have
been successfully updated.

16.3 CONFIRM PRACTITIONER REGISTRATION STATUS

a) Select <Confirm Practitioner Registration Status> from the menu on the left

i) The tax practitioner registration status page will display.

ii) Enter the tax practitioner number. Complete and verify the security pin displayed on the screen
iii) Click the “Search” button to continue.

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b) If the tax practitioner number is incorrect, the following error message will display.

c) If no registered tax practitioner can be found, a message will display on the screen.

d) If the tax practitioner is registered, the practitioner’s name, surname, practitioner number and registration
status indicated as “Registered” will display.

17 SARS CORRESPONDENCE
a) For your convenience all letters, notices and messages issued by SARS is available in one place under
‘SARS Correspondence’.

b) To search for correspondence:

i) Log on to eFiling and select <SARS Correspondence> from the menu on the left

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ii) Click on <Search Correspondence>

iii) The correspondence grid will display
iv) You can use one or more of the following filters to search for correspondence:
A) Tax type
B) Tax year
C) Received from date (i.e. start date)
D) Received to date (i.e. end date)
E) Correspondence Type (such as Letters, Notices and Text Messages issued by SARS)
v) Click on <Search>.

Please Note:

If you navigate to other eFiling pages after logging on, you will no longer see <SARS
Correspondence> on the menu on the left. To navigate back to <SARS Correspondence> select
<Returns> from the menu on the top.

18 FORGOT PASSWORD
a) On the eFiling login in screen click on <Forgot Password> and then enter your user name.

b) Indicate if you want your OTP to be sent to your email or your cell number. Click on <Send OTP>.

c) Insert your new password and retype it to confirm.

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i) Click on <Submit>
ii) A pop-up message will display confirming that your password has been changed successfully.

d) If you registered for eFiling prior to 1 July 2019 and did not provide your contact details, you will be
required to enter your cell number and email address.

i) If we can match your details with our records, an OTP will be sent to you
ii) If we cannot match your details, we will ask you a few questions to authenticate you
iii) If we are still unable to match your details, please call the SARS Contact Centre for further
assistance.

19 FORGOT USERNAME
a) On the eFiling login in screen click on <Forgot Your Username>. Insert the following particulars:

i) Cell number
ii) Email
iii) Indicate if you are a South African citizen
iv) ID number (or Passport number if you are not a South African citizen)
v) Tax number (if you have one).

b) If we can match your personal particulars, an OTP will be sent to your email address or your cell number.
Insert the OTP and click on <Submit>.

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c) Once you have entered the correct OTP, your username will display. You will be prompted to insert a
password and retype it to confirm.

i) Click on <Submit>
ii) A pop-up message will display confirming that your password has been changed successfully.

d) If you registered for eFiling prior to 1 July 2019 and did not provide your contact details, you will be
prompted to select a preferred channel to receive your OTP.

i) If we can match your details with our records, an OTP will be sent to you
ii) If we cannot match your details, we will ask you a few questions to authenticate you
iii) If we are still unable to match your details, please call the SARS Contact Centre for further
assistance.

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20 DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT

Detail of Change Date Version Description

06-12-2019 6 Added new functionality: User invitation to a portfolio;
Chatbot, SARS correspondence
26-03-2020 7 Automatic income tax registration for new eFilers
(individuals with valid SA ID number)
20-04-2020 8 Enhanced functionality: Tax Type Transfer.
08-05-2020 9 Added: Passwordless login; Two-factor authentication
04-12-2020 10 Capture Registration screen: ‘Next’ button replaced with
‘Submit’; Profile and Preference Setup screen: last date
and time that the profile was accessed
23-04-2021 11 New function to Manage Tax Types, Practitioner
configuration
11-08-2021 12 Chatbot; Approve Tax Type Transfer request
28-02-2023 13 Added Trust Types (including foreign and CIS trusts);
LiveChat
22-04-2024 14 Contact Details Validation

DISCLAIMER

The information contained in this guide is intended as guidance only and is not considered to be a legal
reference, nor is it a binding ruling. The information does not take the place of legislation and readers who
are in doubt regarding any aspect of the information displayed in the guide should refer to the relevant
legislation or seek a formal opinion from a suitably qualified individual.

For more information about the contents of this publication you may:
• Visit the SARS website at www.sars.gov.za;
• Make a booking to visit the nearest SARS branch;
• Contact your own tax advisor / tax practitioner;
• If calling from within South Africa, contact the SARS Contact Centre on 0800 00 SARS (7277); or
• If calling from outside South Africa, contact the SARS Contact Centre on +27 11 602 2093 (only between
8am and 4pm South African time).

GEN-ELEC-18-G01 – External Guide - How to Revision: 14 Page 49 of 49

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