HOW-TO

How to Check Your SARS Refund Status

How to check whether SARS owes you a refund and when it will pay, using eFiling, the MobiApp, USSD and your Statement of Account.

Step by step

1. Log in to eFilingSign in at www.sarsefiling.co.za. If you cannot get in, recover access first before trying to check your refund.
2. Open your Statement of AccountClick the Statement of Account (ITSA) icon, usually at the top right. If SARS owes you, the refund amount and payment date are shown here.
3. Or use the MobiAppOpen the SARS MobiApp, tap Refund Status on the home screen, and follow the prompts to see where your refund stands.
4. Or check by USSDDial *134*7277#, choose the refund option, enter your ID/passport/asylum-seeker number and send. This works on a basic phone.
5. Confirm your banking detailsIn your profile, make sure your bank account details are correct and verified. Incorrect details are a leading cause of delayed refunds.
6. Clear any outstanding itemsCheck for outstanding returns or requests for supporting documents. A refund can be held until these are resolved or an audit is complete.
7. Wait the expected timeSARS aims to pay most valid refunds over R100 within about 72 hours once everything is in order. If it is well overdue, query it through official SARS channels.

First, find out if SARS owes you

Refund season brings a wave of anxious checking and, unfortunately, a wave of scams. The honest starting point is that a refund only arises if you have actually overpaid tax for the year, most often through PAYE deducted by your employer. CluedUp is an independent guide, not SARS, so use this as general information and confirm figures against your own official records.

The clearest place to see your position is your Statement of Account, known as the ITSA. Once you log in to eFiling and click the Statement of Account icon, any refund due and its payment date are shown. That single screen answers the two questions people care about most: how much, and when. If it shows nothing owed to you, that simply means your account is settled for the period, not that something has gone wrong.

The channels for checking

You do not have to be at a computer to check. SARS offers several routes:

• eFiling: open the Statement of Account (ITSA) after logging in.
• SARS MobiApp: tap Refund Status on the home screen and follow the prompts.
• USSD: dial *134*7277#, choose the refund option and enter your ID number, no data needed.

If you cannot log in to start with, sort that out first using our guide on how to log in to SARS eFiling.

How long it should take

SARS states that it aims to pay nine out of every ten valid refunds over R100 within about 72 hours. That target assumes everything is in order, so treat it as a guide rather than a promise. As of 2026, confirm the current stated timeline on sars.gov.za, because SARS revisits these service commitments from time to time.

A quick refund depends on three things being clean: correct banking details, no outstanding returns, and no active audit or verification. Get those right and most refunds move quickly.

Why refunds get held up

If your money has not arrived, there is usually a concrete reason. The most common is incorrect or unverified banking details on your profile, so check those first. Outstanding returns from previous years can block a payment, as can a request for supporting documents or a verification review. When SARS asks for documents, upload them through eFiling promptly; the refund typically follows once the review is complete.

Resist the temptation to use an outside ‘agent’ who promises to speed things up for a fee. They cannot make SARS pay faster, and handing over your login is dangerous.

Protecting yourself from refund scams

Refund scams are among the most common in South Africa, and they peak exactly when people are anxiously waiting for money. Remember that SARS pays into the verified bank account already on your profile and never sends a link asking you to ‘claim’ a refund by entering card or banking details. It also never asks for your eFiling password or full OTP. If you receive such a message, however official it looks, do not click; go directly to the official site instead by typing the address yourself. Learning to spot these is worth your time, and our guide on how to report online fraud in South Africa explains where to report them.

One last practical point: no return means no refund can be assessed in the first place. If you still need to submit, follow how to file your tax return on eFiling, then check your Statement of Account once the assessment is issued. Keep your banking and contact details current on your profile so that, when the refund is approved, it reaches the right account without a hitch and you receive the notification promptly.

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.