SARS Adds a ‘Waiting Room’ to Beat the Tax Filing Rush in 2025

A tech fix for a tax-time headache, but will it hold up?

If you’ve ever tried to file your taxes online in South Africa during peak season, you’ll know the drill: the site crashes, pages don’t load, and frustration mounts. To avoid a repeat of this year’s early chaos, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has launched a new virtual waiting room system, just in time for the manual filing season starting Monday, 21 July 2025.

What went wrong earlier this month?

Tax season officially opened on 7 July 2025, coinciding with the employer filing deadline. That overlap caused a surge in online traffic that overwhelmed the SARS eFiling system. The platform buckled under the pressure, locking out taxpayers and tax practitioners across the country.

Although services were restored the following day, ongoing glitches continued to affect the user experience. In response, SARS extended some key deadlines to prevent businesses and individuals from being penalised unfairly.

How the new SARS waiting room works

To prevent the same problems during the next filing phase, SARS is introducing a virtual queuing system. When traffic spikes, users logging in via eFiling or the SARS MobiApp will be placed in a digital waiting room. A message will pop up on the screen showing your place in the queue and an estimated wait time.

Once it’s your turn, the system automatically redirects you to the login page; no need to refresh or click again. In some cases, you may be prompted to complete a CAPTCHA verification before proceeding.

This system will go live on 21 July 2025, when individual, provisional, and trust taxpayers begin submitting returns manually.

When do you need to file by?

For those who haven’t yet been auto-assessed, here’s a quick guide:

• Auto-assessments run from 7 July to 20 July 2025.

• Individual taxpayers can file between 21 July and 20 October 2025.

• Provisional taxpayers and trusts have until 19 January 2026 to file.

SARS is urging taxpayers to file early and to avoid peak usage times. Mid-morning or late afternoon tends to be quieter than early mornings or just after lunch.

Upgrades and digital downtime

SARS has confirmed that scheduled digital platform upgrades will continue throughout the filing season. These are mostly planned for outside of normal business hours to minimise disruptions, but users may still experience the occasional service hiccup.

The virtual waiting room is one part of a broader push to modernise the tax system and make the eFiling process more stable and user-friendly.

Reactions from the public

Frustration over the early-July system crash was widespread, especially among small business owners and freelancers who rely on punctual filing to keep their financials on track. Social media lit up with complaints, and while many users remain sceptical, some have cautiously welcomed the waiting room rollout.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) posted, “If only filing taxes was as easy as joining a WhatsApp group: click and done!”

Why this matters

SARS’ move to implement a virtual waiting room may seem like a small change, but it’s a critical step toward stabilising an increasingly digital system. As millions of South Africans shift to online platforms for essential services, system resilience is becoming non-negotiable.

Whether you’re a tax veteran or a first-time filer, this year’s system changes could save you hours of frustration, if they work as intended.

Also read: Illegal Mining and Dolomite Put Joburg on the Brink of Collapse

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com

Source: The South African

Featured Image: SA Accounting Academy