SARS now using WhatsApp to contact non-compliant taxpayers
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has decided to step up its tactics in the pursuit of outstanding debt.
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The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is “getting with the times” and has significantly broadened its communication channels.
It’s done so by adding WhatsApp to the list of platforms through which it will contact taxpayers directly.
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This marks a notable shift from the traditional methods of letters and emails that taxpayers have long associated with the revenue service.
Here is everything you need to know about its new approach
This development is sure to take many taxpayers by surprise.
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Tax Consulting SA, a leading tax advisory firm, has reaffirmed this and cautioned taxpayers, saying people should no longer assume SARS will only reach out through conventional correspondence, i.e., email or post.
According to MyBroadband, SARS may contact people through various digital platforms beyond WhatsApp.
This is all part of a wider effort to modernise its engagement with the public.
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SARS confirmed with BusinessTech that the decision to use WhatsApp is part of the larger goal of making significant progress on its 2025-30 Strategic Statement, a plan that emphasises modernising its systems to deliver direct updates and reminders, scam alerts, and system status announcements to taxpayers. The use of WhatsApp, SARS stated, is a continuation of this strategy.
SARS has also been building towards this point in stages:
- a self-service WhatsApp channel was introduced in 2024
- a broadcast channel followed in 2025
- by 2026 the revenue service moved to making direct contact with taxpayers through WhatsApp
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By reaching taxpayers on platforms where they are most active, SARS aims to ensure that important notifications about outstanding obligations are seen and acted upon, rather than going unnoticed in an inbox or lost in the post.
Receiving a message about tax debt through an app like WhatsApp might be a bit unsettling.
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Tax Consulting SA emphasises that ignoring such messages, or assuming they are not genuine, could have serious financial consequences.
SARS is deploying technology, data analytics, and third-party information to identify taxpayers with outstanding obligations and engage with them directly.
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The firm noted that the tax authority is becoming increasingly sophisticated in its approach, operating at greater speed and with greater connectivity than ever before.
In addition to its digital outreach, SARS has strengthened ties with financial institutions and engaged legal professionals to pursue civil judgments against those who remain non-compliant.
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It is also important to note that despite the more assertive approach, Tax Consulting SA confirms that SARS does not act without prior notice.
Before any collection steps are taken, the revenue service issues Letters of Final Demand.
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These letters formally notify taxpayers of their outstanding debt and make clear that failure to engage will result in further enforcement action.
This process means that taxpayers receiving a WhatsApp message from SARS are likely already in an advanced stage of the collection process, making it all the more important to respond promptly rather than dismiss the message.
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The urgency behind SARS's intensified collection drive becomes clearer when viewed against the scale of South Africa's outstanding tax debt
As at 31 January 2026, the total outstanding tax debt had reached R646 billion.
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R518.2 billion of the total is classified as undisputed debt, meaning it is legally recoverable and not currently subject to any objection or litigation.
Tax Consulting SA described this portion of the debt as low-hanging fruit, noting that SARS is actively pursuing recovery of these funds.
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The sheer volume of recoverable debt provides a compelling reason for the revenue service to pursue every available avenue, including direct messaging through WhatsApp.
Despite its efforts, SARS collected R79.4 billion in tax debt by 31 January 2026, leaving it approximately R15 billion short of its collection targets for that period.
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Tax Consulting SA attributed this shortfall to a combination of operational and structural difficulties.
Delays in bringing on additional collection staff hampered early enforcement efforts, while a rise in disputed tax debts and an increase in deferred payment arrangements have narrowed the pool of debt that can be recovered immediately.
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Foto: SARS