The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is on the hunt for outstanding debts owed, and has expanded its direct communication channels to contact taxpayers over WhatsApp.
According to tax experts at Tax Consulting SA, taxpayers could be surprised by SARS making direct contact over instant messaging and other digital platforms, but noted that this is part of the taxman’s wider plan.
The group noted that SARS is moving to engage with taxpayers on platforms where they’re most active to raise awareness of their tax obligations.
This is a departure from the revenue service’s historic interactions, which were mainly through letters and emails.
“Taxpayers should no longer assume that SARS communicates solely through these methods,” Tax Consulting SA said.
“As part of its digital transformation, SARS has expanded its communication with taxpayers, including direct contact via WhatsApp and other digital platforms.”
While this could be surprising or even unsettling, the tax experts said SARS has to ensure that important notifications are not missed.
These also serve as a precursor to enforcement action and collection steps by SARS. However, this can only happen after the service issues a Letter of Final Demand.
This letter notifies non-compliant taxpayers of their debts and warns of collection action.
SARS has also been expanding its reach through this part of the process, recruiting debt collectors, strengthening collaboration with financial institutions such as banks, and allocating resources to engage legal professionals to pursue civil judgments against non-compliant taxpayers.
The revenue service initially launched WhatsApp services in 2024, but this was reserved for self-service and taxpayer-initiated communication to engage with SARS on individual tax affairs.
A WhatsApp broadcast channel was then launched in 2025, which is a one-way communication channel designed to give direct updates and reminders, scam alerts and system status announcements.
SARS confirmed to BusinessTech that it is now contacting taxpayers directly through WhatsApp.
It said that the move is in line with its 2025-30 Strategic Statement, which focuses on “Modernising SARS’ systems to provide digital streamlined online services”.
“The use of WhatsApp by SARS is a progression of this strategy,” it said, confirming that taxpayers will receive direct messages from the service.
Don’t ignore the warnings
While receiving a WhatsApp message from SARS might spark uncertainty, the tax experts warned that the messages shouldn’t be ignored.
“Ignoring these messages or assuming they are harmless could be a costly mistake,” they said.
“SARS is increasingly using technology, data analytics, and third-party information to identify and engage with taxpayers who may have outstanding obligations.”
That said, as is always the case, taxpayers should be cautious of any scam messages that may try to mimic or spoof SARS communication.
SARS recommended that taxpayers log in to official platforms, such as eFiling, to verify the authenticity of any messages.
However, it does not recommend ignoring the message altogether.
Recent fiscal updates show that South Africa’s total outstanding tax debt has climbed to R646 billion as at 31 January 2026, a figure that continues to weigh heavily on the country’s fiscal position.
Of that amount, R518.2 billion is classified as undisputed debt, meaning it is legally recoverable and not currently subject to objection or litigation.
Tax Consulting said that this is “low-hanging fruit ripe for the picking”, and SARS is actively pursuing recovery of these debts.
By 31 January 2026, SARS had collected R79.4 billion in tax debt, which, surprisingly, left the revenue authority R15 billion short of its collection targets for the period.
Taxpayers should not interpret this as a softening of enforcement. Instead, it should be seen as a major motivating factor for SARS to use its full powers to collect what is due.
“For taxpayers carrying outstanding liabilities, the risk of enforcement is imminent,” it said.
“SARS’s new strategy is not a short-term recovery campaign, but a long-term recovery posture. It is a structural shift in how the revenue authority approaches outstanding tax debt and signals that non-compliance will not be tolerated.”
The experts said that those who ignore the problem may soon find that SARS is far harder to avoid than a missed message on a mobile device, as the era of quietly ignoring a tax debt is coming to an end.
