Tax season: Don't fall victim to scams, warns SARS
Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
With the 2025 tax season in full swing, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has issued a warning to taxpayers about a new scam designed to steal personal information under the guise of a tax refund audit.
SARS explained that some individuals would be auto-assessed, and they did not need to take any further action if they were satisfied with the calculations.
"If the taxpayer believes that SARS has not captured all the necessary information, they are free to make changes on their tax returns and submit the missing information through eFiling by October 20."
The revenue collector said taxpayers who are not automatically assessed must file their tax returns themselves. Filing opened on July 21 and closes on October 20, 2025 for non-provisional individuals.
However, while the streamlined process was intended to make filing easier, scammers are now exploiting the period of increased taxpayer activity.
According to SARS the latest scam involves an SMS that claims that a revenue collector is auditing a tax refund.
"The latest scam is a SMS indicating that SARS is conducting an audit on a Tax refund. The link leads you to a phishing website, aimed at stealing your information. See the scam prototype here".
The revenue collector also advised taxpayers to verify that any emails or SMS messages claiming to be from SARS are authentic before clicking on any links.
"Always make sure the email or SMS is genuine before you click on any link.".
In a separate advisory, the revenue collector reiterated that it will never ask for personal, tax, banking or eFiling details via email or SMS, nor will it send hyperlinks to external websites.
[email protected]
IOL Business
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
12 hours ago
- IOL News
Court hears shocking testimony against Phoenix tavern owner in unrest trial
A warehouse in Durban was burnt and items looted during the July 2021 unrest. Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers A State witness has identified a Phoenix tavern owner in video footage as the one who gave instructions to someone to put pallets on top of the July unrest victims who had been allegedly assaulted and placed next to their burnt taxi. The pallets were intended to aid in burning the victims alive. The witness pointed this out during re-examination at the Durban High Court on Friday. Four men, Ravine Naidoo, Trevor Gopal, Tyreece Govender, and Timothy Govender, are on trial for murder, two counts of attempted murder, public violence, and malicious property damage. Gopal, the owner of Tees Tavern, is also charged with incitement to commit public violence. During court proceedings, video footage introduced to the trial by the defence was played. The State witness, whose name cannot be revealed for security reasons, told the court that Gopal in the video was giving instructions. He stated that a man in a blue T-shirt, positioned on the ground floor, received instructions from Gopal, who was upstairs with others. He pointed out the man in a blue T-shirt, looking up at Gopal. After that, the man disappeared from the video footage and appeared again carrying pallets, which he placed on top of the victims, Njabulo Allen Dlamini, Nkosikhona Madlala, and Sandile Sambo. Next to the victims was the burnt taxi that they were driving. The three victims and two others had come in a taxi to Phoenix to buy from Gopal's tavern. According to the two males and one female who alighted from the taxi and went to the tavern, they came back running. They got into their taxi, which was bearing the logo Touch Africa. The witness said a lot of cars came at this stage, and Gopal's brother blocked the taxi, and its occupants were told to get out of it. He said one male and one female were able to run away, but the three others were caught by the crowd that was incited by Gopal to put the heat on black Africans coming to Phoenix. He reported that the victims were assaulted, with Tyreece and Timothy striking Dlamini on the head with a hammer and a rock. Dlamini later died due to blunt force head injuries. Before the witness gave the court this information, there had been numerous objections from the defence counsels, citing that the conduct of the State prosecutor, advocate Thabani Buthelezi, was unacceptable as he asked the witness leading questions. Gopal's counsel, advocate Jimmy Howse SC, said the State was given the video footage, but it did not use it. 'The State cannot ask questions that did not arise from the cross-examination,' Howse objected. He said the State was now seeking to lead evidence in re-examination, which is not allowed. The trial continues on Monday. [email protected]
IOL News
12 hours ago
- IOL News
Missing for 529 days: What's next in the Joshlin Smith investigation?
Western Cape police descended on Middelpos informal settlement in Saldanha Bay pursuing emerging information as part of the investigation into the disappearance of seven year old Joshlin Smith. Image: Supplied As police pursue leads in the Joshlin Smith case, the nation awaits potential sanctions against the State's star witness in two weeks. This follows searches conducted in the Middelpos informal settlement in Saldanha on July 25, based on untested information. Joshlin, now seven, disappeared on February 19, 2024, while living with her mother, two siblings, and her mother's boyfriend in a shack in Middelpos While police were tight-lipped on the new lead they were following, they assured the public that Joshlin's disappearance remained a priority in the Western Cape and that the investigation was never closed. 'SAPS teams led by detectives with K-9 members, search and rescue teams, and local police have been scouring an identified area in Saldanha Bay. Whether the ongoing search will yield any success remains to be seen. It is worth reiterating that police have an obligation to follow up and test all information that is brought to their attention,' police said. Jacquen Appollis, Steveno van Rhyn and Kelly Smith were sentenced in May. Image: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Speaking to IOL, Candice van der Rheede, Director and founder of the Western Cape Missing Persons Unit (WCMPU) said this lead is not new. 'We told the investigating officer (the first officer, Sergeant Meyer Milstein Vredeburg Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit), that Kelly was looking for a portable toilet that week Joshlin went missing. We had a witness come forward, but instead, they treated our witness like a criminal. The witness worked at the site. Kelly asked him where the portable toilets were that had been removed,' she said. WCMPU has been pivotal when searching for missing persons across the Metro and has worked closely with authorities to solve cases. 'We told him, but he ignored it. Why would one be looking for a specific portable toilet?' van der Rheede asked. The shack Joshlin Smith and her two siblings lived in with mom Kelly Smith in Middelpos. Image: Robin-Lee Francke When IOL reached out to police regarding an update after their search, the provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie, said: 'There is no new development to report. Joshlin is still regarded as a missing person. All leads and information will be pursued'. During the landmark trial, the State relied on former accused turned state witness, Laurentia Lombaard's testimony to seal the deal. Lombaard admitted to originally being part of the conspiracy after she heard Kelly's plan to sell Joshlin for R20,000.
IOL News
13 hours ago
- IOL News
Ramaphosa remains hopeful in US tariff negotiations
President Cyril Ramaphosa is still hopeful that South Africa can find a way out of the US tariffs within the next seven days. Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed hope that his administration will still be able to find a way out of the 30% tariffs that US President Donald Trump implemented on Friday, but to be effective within the next seven days from the deadline. In case South Africa fails to convince Trump, the Presidency said in a statement released on Friday that the government was finalising a package to support local companies affected by the tariffs. 'The package consists of a number of measures to assist companies, producers, and workers affected by the tariffs on SA exports to the US,' read the statement. Ramaphosa's office will announce the details of the measures in due course. The office said, according to Trump's Executive Order published late this week, the products affected by the tariffs when exported to the US market include copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, lumber articles, certain critical minerals, stainless steel scrap, and energy products. Addressing the media after the inauguration of Firoz Cachalia as the acting police minister on Friday, Ramaphosa said the seven days were the window period for the continuation of the engagements with the US. He stated that South Africa was not the worst affected among many countries by Trump's tariffs, although some countries fared slightly better. He said his government was in the process of holding discussions with the United States, as some local companies were dealing with the US customers. 'We export vehicles, steel, aluminum, and citrus, so we have to engage with them and find a way to reach a settlement. So, within the window that is still open, we are hoping that we will find a way to settle this matter. 'So intensive negotiations are under way,' said Ramaphosa. After his private meeting with Trump at the White House on May 21, Ramaphosa expressed hope that he had mended the relationship. The visit was prompted by allegations that South Africa was mistreating its Afrikaner citizens and that it was in support of US enemies. However, it became clear this week that Trump was still hostile when he told journalists that he thought he would send someone to represent him in the G20 Summit to be held in Johannesburg in November because he had problems with South Africa's 'very, very bad policies, where lots of people are being killed'. As the country was still counting days before the tariff deadline, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen announced that the country was swiftly expanding its global trade partnerships as a strategy to mitigate the impact of the US tariffs on its exports. He called on the country not to waste time by being overly reliant on the US market. Steenhuisen said the country was already strengthening its trade alliances with the likes of Chile, Peru, and New Zealand 'to jointly lobby for fair and stable trade treatment of fresh produce' through the Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters. He also said the state had finalised new phytosanitary protocols for the export of avocados to China, table grapes to Vietnam and the Philippines, and maize to India. Ramaphosa's administration said during its engagements with the US, it submitted a Framework Deal to enhance mutually beneficial trade and investment relations between the two countries. Ramaphosa was still optimistic that all channels of communication with Trump would remain open. 'Our negotiators are ready pending an invitation from the US. South Africa and the US trade relations are complementary in nature, and South African exports do not pose a threat to US industry,' read the statement. The government was using its diplomatic channels with the US to safeguard its national interests for ensuring that companies keep producing high-quality products destined for the world, to prevent job losses. The latest Executive Order stated that products that were already on their way to the US via vessels before 12h01 am, Eastern Daylight Time, seven days after Friday, and entered for consumption, or withdrawn from a warehouse for consumption, before 12h01am Eastern Daylight Time on October 5, 2025, will not be subject to the tariffs. In a joint statement issued on Friday, MPs DA MPs Toby Chance and Ryan Smith blamed Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau and International Relations and Cooperation's Ronald Lamola for failing to secure a trade deal with the US. 'An executive order from the White House last night makes clear that US-imposed tariffs are now a certainty, to be levied on South African goods and produce from 07 August 2025, due to the negligence and ineptitude of two ANC ministers and their departments. 'Both the departments of Trade, Industry & Competition (DTIC), and International Relations & Cooperation should hang their heads in profound shame today,' said the MPs. On July 29, the DTIC said the government was not going to retaliate against the tariffs, but was preparing itself for any scenario. 'We have put our best foot forward, bringing together the subject specialists within our ranks who have dug deep to ensure that our country is adequately prepared for a number of potential scenarios. We have planned for these scenarios and have not sat idly. 'We are working with other government departments on a response plan, which includes a support desk within the DTIC. Our response package also focuses on demand-side interventions in the impacted industries,' read the DTIC statement.
