How to spot a tax scam

SARS regularly warns taxpayers about scams. They often arrive during filing season, when people are expecting messages, and they work by creating urgency. Here is how to stay calm and safe.

Common signs

A message that asks you to click a link to claim a refund. A request for your eFiling username and password. Pressure to pay immediately into an unfamiliar account. Poor spelling, unfamiliar sender addresses, or attachments you were not expecting. Threats of arrest or immediate penalties.

What genuine contact looks like

SARS does not ask for your banking details or passwords through links in emails or text messages. Legitimate correspondence can be checked by logging into eFiling directly, by typing the address yourself rather than clicking a link.

Practitioners

SARS asks taxpayers to verify a tax practitioner's credentials before working with them. A genuine practitioner can tell you their registration details and the body they belong to.

A genuine practitioner also does not need your eFiling password sent over a website or message. On this website we never ask you to upload IDs or enter SARS eFiling or CIPC passwords.

If you think you have been targeted

Do not reply or click. If you entered details, change your eFiling password straight away from the official site and contact your bank if banking details were shared. You can report the message to SARS.

What to do now

Pause before acting on any urgent tax message. Check it independently through eFiling. When in doubt, ask someone you trust.

If something has arrived that you are unsure about, you are welcome to call us and we will help you check it calmly.