For many taxpayers, filing season isn’t just about submitting a tax return. It’s also about trusting that their personal information, banking details, and refunds are safe.
That trust took a knock last year when the Office of the Tax Ombud’s investigation into eFiling profile hijackings pointed to weaknesses in SARS’s fraud prevention, authentication, and response processes. Fraudsters were able to gain access to taxpayer profiles, change banking details, and redirect refunds, while some victims waited months, and in some cases years, for their cases to be resolved.
Read: Deep flaws in SARS’s systems, OTO investigation finds
There was another theme running through Thursday’s launch of tax season besides making filing easier. Time and again, Commissioner Dr Johnstone Makhubu returned to the issue of trust and the need for taxpayers to feel confident using SARS’s digital systems.
“We believe that trust in our system is very important. There is a need to ensure that whenever you access our systems, you know that you are secure,” Makhubu said.
Security before service
The strategy only really works if taxpayers trust the systems they’re encouraged to use.
Makhubu said SARS has strengthened controls around access to taxpayer accounts, expanded biometric verification on eFiling and the SARS MobiApp, enhanced fraud-prevention measures, and continued investing in stronger authentication. The aim, he said, is to make it far more difficult for anyone to gain unauthorised access to another taxpayer’s profile while giving legitimate taxpayers greater confidence that their information is secure.
Those are some of the same areas that featured prominently in the Tax Ombud’s investigation last year.
The work, however, is part of something bigger than responding to past criticism.
During the launch, SARS repeatedly linked security to its broader digital-first strategy. The more taxpayers use eFiling, the MobiApp, the SARS Online Query System (SOQS), and services such as Lwazi (SARS’s virtual assistant), the less pressure there is on branches and contact centres.
“This isn’t just about technology,” Makhubu suggested throughout the briefing. It is about creating the confidence needed for taxpayers to transact digitally.”
Security works both ways
Makhubu’s message was that while SARS is strengthening its systems, taxpayers also have an important role to play.
That starts with the basics. Before filing season opens, SARS wants taxpayers to make sure their banking details, contact information, and tax affairs are up to date. As SARS’s media statement points out, something as simple as an old bank account, an outstanding return, or information submitted late by a third party can delay what should otherwise be a straightforward refund.
Taxpayers also need to stay alert. Filing season tends to attract scammers posing as SARS officials or promising refunds that taxpayers would not ordinarily receive.
SARS acknowledged in its media statement that uncertainty around refunds remains one of the biggest sources of taxpayer anxiety. Fraudsters know that too.
Makhubu warned taxpayers not only about phishing emails and fake SARS messages but also about individuals promising to secure tax refunds that taxpayers would not ordinarily receive.
“We know that during this time there are people that approach innocent taxpayers and say, ‘I can make refunds flow for you’,” he said.
“We just want to warn taxpayers that you must be aware of those scams.”
At the same time, he cautioned taxpayers not to ignore official communication from SARS. If the revenue service asks for supporting information, responding promptly can help keep a return moving through the system. Ignoring those requests, on the other hand, can slow the process down.
Simply put: don’t respond to scams, but don’t ignore SARS either.
Confidence is earned, not promised
Last year’s Tax Ombud investigation raised difficult questions about how SARS protected taxpayer accounts and responded when things went wrong.
Thursday’s briefing offered the clearest indication yet of how SARS believes those weaknesses are being addressed. Stronger authentication, improved fraud detection, better communication with taxpayers, and expanded digital verification all feature prominently in the revenue service’s plans.
Whether those changes translate into a better experience for taxpayers is something only the coming filing season will answer.
If refunds are paid promptly, fraud becomes harder to commit, and problems are resolved more quickly, confidence in SARS’s digital channels is likely to grow. If the frustrations highlighted by the Tax Ombud persist, rebuilding that confidence will inevitably take longer.
