Innovation Centre Global
Income Tax Number Tool
AI Future Learners · Employment Readiness

Your SARS income tax number, sorted

Some employers wrongly ask job seekers for a tax number before they'll even interview them. SARS itself says that's not required. Here's the one thing to know before you apply for jobs, and — if you do want or need a number — every free way to get or find it, straight from SARS.

Snapshot as of September 2026 — confirm current details at sars.gov.za
The most important thing to know

You do not need a tax number before you're hired.

SARS's own guidance is direct about this:

“SARS does not require a person to have a tax number when they are employed for the first time.”

If an employer asks you for one before an interview or before your first day, that request isn't a SARS requirement — it's the employer's own (mistaken) process. Once you actually have a job, your employer can register you for a tax number themselves, automatically, through their own payroll system — no branch visit, no forms, nothing for you to do. Many people's first payslip already has a tax number on it without them ever applying for one.

Source: SARS — Tax numbers for job seekers

So do you actually need to register?

Only if your income is above the tax threshold for your age — everyone else can register if they want to, but it isn't compulsory.

Under 65

R99,000 / year

Earn less than this in the 2026/2027 tax year (1 Mar 2026 – 28 Feb 2027) and you're not required to register or submit a return.

65 to 74

R153,250 / year

If you're in this age bracket, your threshold sits higher than the standard one.

75 and older

R171,300 / year

The highest threshold band.

Below the threshold? You can still choose to register — for example, to claim back tax that was withheld from a short-term or part-time job (PAYE), or because a bank, landlord or other institution has asked you for a tax number. It costs nothing either way.
Source: SARS — Personal Income Tax

Every free way to get or find your number

Tap whichever one suits you best. Every option here is free, straight from SARS — you never need to pay anyone to register you or "find" your number for you.

SARS Online Query System (SOQS)fastest option
No SARS profile neededMinutes, not days
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How it works
  1. Open the SOQS tool using the link below.
  2. Choose the Personal Income Tax registration option (the same tool can also look up a number you already have but forgot).
  3. Enter your South African ID number and confirm your personal details.
  4. SARS verifies your details against Home Affairs records.
  5. If you don't have a number yet, one is issued on the spot; if you already do, it's retrieved for you — either way it's sent to your cellphone or email.
What you'll need
  • A valid South African ID number
  • A working cellphone number and/or email address
Open the SOQS tool ↗
Source: SARS — Register for Personal Income Tax online via SOQS
SARS eFilingalso sets you up to submit returns
Free eFiling profile~15–20 min
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How it works
  1. Go to the official eFiling site and select Register.
  2. Choose "Individual" and enter your ID and personal details.
  3. If you don't already have a tax number, eFiling registers you and issues one automatically as part of sign-up.
  4. Confirm the one-time PIN sent to your cellphone or email.
  5. Once logged in, open "Notice of Registration" (form IT150) to see and download your tax number.
What you'll need
  • A valid South African ID
  • A working cellphone number and email address
Open SARS eFiling ↗
Source: SARS — How do I register for tax
SARS MobiAppthe same process, from your phone
Free appLight on data
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How it works
  1. Download the official "SARS MobiApp" from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
  2. Register as an individual, the same way as on eFiling.
  3. If you don't already have a tax number, one is issued automatically as part of registration.
  4. Your Notice of Registration (IT150) is available in the app once you're registered.
What you'll need
  • A valid South African ID
  • A smartphone with a small amount of data to download the app and register
Source: SARS — How do I register for tax
USSD or WhatsAppno smartphone or data needed
Works on any cellphoneStandard network rates only
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USSD — from any phone, no internet needed
  1. Dial *134*7277# from your cellphone.
  2. Follow the menu to the Personal Income Tax registration option.
  3. Enter your ID number when prompted, and follow the remaining steps on screen.
WhatsApp — if you have data or Wi-Fi
  1. Save 0800 11 7277 to your contacts.
  2. Open WhatsApp and send "Hi" to that number.
  3. Follow the automated prompts for tax number registration or retrieval.
Source: SARS — How do I register for tax
Through your employerthe option that needs nothing from you
Nothing for you to doHappens once you're hired
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How it works
  1. Once you start a job, your employer can register you for a tax number directly through their own SARS payroll system (e@syFile or eFiling) — this covers a single new employee or, for larger employers, hundreds at once.
  2. You don't need to visit a SARS branch or apply separately — it happens in the background as part of your employer submitting their payroll paperwork.
  3. Your tax number will usually appear on your IRP5 or payslip. If you're not sure whether you have one, ask your employer's payroll or HR contact.
If an employer insists you must already have a tax number before they'll interview or hire you, you can point them to SARS's own guidance (linked below) — it's not a legal requirement, and SARS actively discourages employers from asking for it upfront.
Source: SARS — Tax numbers for job seekers
SARS branch, in personif you'd rather talk to someone
Appointment recommendedFree
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How it works
  1. Book an appointment where possible rather than walking in, to avoid long queues.
  2. Bring the original and a copy of your valid South African ID (a driving licence, passport, or asylum seeker's certificate can also be used, depending on your situation).
  3. A SARS service consultant completes your registration for you on the spot.
Source: SARS — How do I register for tax

Tips

A note on privacy and scams

Every official way to register for or retrieve your tax number is completely free, direct from SARS. Never pay a website, an agent or anyone on WhatsApp who offers to "get" or "find" your tax number for a fee — that's not a real SARS service. Be especially careful of SMS or email messages claiming you have a tax refund waiting and asking you to click a link and enter your ID or banking details — this is one of the most common tax-season scams in South Africa. Only ever use the official sars.gov.za website, or the tools.sars.gov.za links given above, and never share your ID number, banking PIN or one-time passwords with anyone who contacts you first.

You'll find our sources linked under each section above. Put together for Innovation Centre Global — this is general information, and thresholds, forms and processes can change from one tax year to the next, so double-check current details at sars.gov.za before relying on anything here.
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