How to check your tax status: every status SARS shows you, explained

Tax status is one of the most searched phrases in South Africa, and one of the most misunderstood: people use it to mean four different things - whether a return is outstanding, whether an assessment has been issued, whether a refund is on its way, and whether the taxpayer is compliant. SARS shows all four, and they are separate states on the same profile.

The only places that can show your status

• eFiling in a browser - the most complete view, including correspondence.
• The SARS MobiApp - fastest for a quick check and for uploading a document.
• The SARS contact centre on 0800 00 7277 - for when the account is locked or the record itself is wrong.

There is no fourth option. This site cannot see your record, and neither can any other private website, whatever it promises. A site asking for your eFiling password or a one-time PIN to “check” is collecting credentials.

What each status means

Status you see	What it means	What to do
Return not yet submitted	The deadline applies and nothing has been filed	File before the deadline for your taxpayer type
Submitted	SARS has the return; no assessment yet	Wait - this is normal for a period after submission
Assessed	The return has been processed	Read the Notice of Assessment; a refund or amount owing is now determined
Selected for verification	SARS wants supporting documents	Upload what is requested, inside the period given
Under audit	A fuller examination is under way	Respond through eFiling, keep copies, and consider a registered practitioner
Refund due / refund paid	The outcome of the assessment	Check the date; a paid refund that has not arrived is a banking problem
Balance owing	There is tax to pay	Pay by the stated date; interest runs from the due date
No record found	Likely never registered, or a data mismatch	Contact SARS with your identity document

Why refunds get delayed

Almost every delayed refund comes from one of four causes, and three of them are fixable by looking at the right screen rather than phoning:

1. Banking details mismatch. The account holder name on the tax record must match the bank’s record. A missing middle initial or a maiden name still on the bank account is enough.
2. An outstanding document request. Verification stops the clock. The correspondence section of your profile shows what was asked for and when it is due.
3. An offset against a debt. SARS may apply a refund against an older shortfall, an administrative penalty or another tax type. The refund screen shows the offset even when the bank balance does not.
4. Submission in the last days of the season. High volumes slow processing. It is one of the better arguments for filing in August rather than October.

Reading the Notice of Assessment

The Notice of Assessment is where the real answer lives. It sets out the income SARS accepted, the deductions it allowed, any penalties, and the resulting amount. If a deduction you claimed was disallowed, the notice says so - and the reason it gives is the thing to address, either by correcting the position or by objecting through the formal process.

Keep it. It is the reference document for the next year’s provisional tax estimate as well, and it is what a practitioner will ask for first.

If the status is stuck

Escalation routes, in order:

1. The eFiling “request for correction” or “request for remittance” - the correct route for a return that is wrong, rather than filing a second return.
2. A query through eFiling, which creates a reference number and a paper trail.
3. The contact centre, with the reference number and your ID.
4. A branch appointment, for identity-related problems that cannot be resolved remotely.

Whatever the route, note the reference number and the date. A query with a reference is a case; a query without one is a conversation.

Where to go next

If you cannot get into the system at all, the eFiling registration guide covers access problems. If you are checking because a deadline is close, the filing season dates are the ones that matter, and the document checklist is what to gather before you file.

Last reviewed 13 October 2026. Status names and processing times are set by SARS and are subject to change; the profile itself is always the authoritative view.