HOW-TO

How to Log In to SARS eFiling

How to sign in to your SARS eFiling account safely, plus the official way to recover a forgotten username or password using OTP.

Step by step

1. Go to the official login pageType www.sarsefiling.co.za into your browser yourself, or open the official SARS MobiApp. Avoid clicking login links in emails or texts, which are a common phishing trick.
2. Enter your credentialsType your eFiling username and password. Check that the web address is correct and secure before entering anything.
3. Complete any security checkDepending on your profile settings, SARS may send an OTP or ask a security question. Enter the OTP from your own device to continue.
4. Forgot your passwordClick Forgot Password, enter your username and continue. Choose your preferred channel, tap Send OTP, enter the OTP, then set a new password and submit.
5. Forgot your usernameClick Forgot Username and complete the requested information. SARS sends your username to your registered security contact details.
6. Forgot bothStart with the Forgot Username process. Once your username is confirmed, the system prompts you to reset your password if needed.
7. Still locked outIf your security contact details are out of date, or you are a non-citizen who fails verification, call the SARS Contact Centre or book an appointment via sars.gov.za.

Logging in the safe way

Signing in to SARS eFiling is straightforward, but it is also the exact moment scammers try to catch you. The single most important habit is to reach the login page yourself, by typing www.sarsefiling.co.za into your browser or opening the official SARS MobiApp, rather than tapping a link in an email or SMS. CluedUp is an independent civic guide, not SARS, so use this as general information and confirm anything account-specific on the official site.

Once you are on the genuine page, you simply enter your username and password. Depending on your security settings, SARS may send a One-Time PIN or ask a security question to confirm it is really you. Enter the OTP from your own device and you are in.

Recovering a forgotten password

Forgetting your password is common and the fix is quick. On the login page choose Forgot Password, enter your username and continue. Select your preferred channel, request the OTP, enter it, and then set a new password. Choose something you have not used elsewhere, because a reused password is one of the easiest ways for an account to be compromised.

The reset OTP goes to the security contact details SARS holds for you. If those details are old, the code will not reach you, which is why keeping your profile current matters so much.

If it is your username you have lost, use Forgot Username, complete the requested information, and SARS sends the username to your registered security contact. If you have forgotten both your username and your password, start with the Forgot Username process; once it confirms your username it will prompt you to reset the password as well. You rarely need to do the two separately.

When self-service does not work

Sometimes recovery stalls: your security contact details are outdated, or you are a non-citizen and cannot complete verification. In those cases SARS directs you to its Contact Centre or to book a branch appointment through the official website. This is slower, but it is the only safe route. Never hand your username, password or ID to a third-party site or a stranger who offers to ‘sort it out’ for a fee, as that is precisely how login-harvesting fraud works.

• Keep your cell number and email on your profile up to date.
• Do not reuse passwords across websites.
• Log out fully on shared or public devices.

Before you can log in at all

If you have never created a profile, logging in will obviously fail, and no amount of password resetting will help. Start instead with our guide on how to register for SARS eFiling, which walks through the OTP-based sign-up from scratch. If your login works but you simply cannot recall your reference number, that is a separate problem with its own free fix, explained in how to find or get your SARS tax number. Sorting out the right issue first saves a great deal of frustration.

After you are in

A successful login is the gateway to almost everything else: requesting returns, viewing official letters, checking money owed to or by you, and updating your contact details so that future OTPs actually arrive. Two of the most common reasons people log in are to submit a return, covered in how to file your tax return on eFiling, and to track a refund. As of 2026, always confirm current login and security requirements on sars.gov.za, since SARS updates its verification steps from time to time. And keep the golden rule in mind long after you have signed in: if a message ever asks you to ‘confirm your login’ by clicking a link or replying with a code, treat it as a scam and go directly to the official site instead.

CluedUp is an independent guide and is not affiliated with any government agency. Fees, links and steps can change — always confirm on the official portal before you act. This is general information, not legal or financial advice.