How to Register a Company for SARS eFiling.

SARS defines a Registered Representative as a person appointed with full rights to act on behalf of the legal entity. A legal entity can only have one Registered Representative. SARS lists public officer among the capacities you can pick when you activate the representative (others include curator).

According to the SARS RAV01 guide, an accountant or tax practitioner cannot be appointed as the representative unless they are an employee of the legal entity. The company must also already have a registration number, because SARS makes the company registration number mandatory for companies on the RAV01 form. If the company is not yet registered, start with registering with CIPC.

Individuals registering for their own eFiling profile should use our guide to registering for SARS eFiling. You normally need your own user profile first.

The SARS profile guide does not describe a separate registration route for companies. It describes adding an Organisation portfolio to your own eFiling profile and then registering the entity under it. Users need the Manage Taxpayers right to use Register New.

1. 1

   Register and log in as a user

   Register your own eFiling user profile (username, password, contact details and identity verification) and log in. See the individual guide for the details.
2. 2

   Add an Organisation portfolio

   Select My Profile, then Portfolio Management, then Add Portfolio. Enter a portfolio name, choose the Portfolio Type Organisation and select Add Portfolio.
3. 3

   Register the company under the organisation

   Select Organisations from the top menu, then Organisation on the left, then Register New. Choose the entity type (such as Company), complete the fields and select Add Taxpayer. In the pop-up, pick the group for the taxpayer and select Done.
4. 4

   Activate the Registered Representative

   Select Organisations, then SARS Registered Details, then Activate Registered Representative. Choose Registered Representative (or Tax Practitioner), agree to the declaration, complete the fields, select the capacity (for example public officer) and activate. The representative enters their own tax reference number.

Source: SARS Guide to Register for eFiling and Manage your User Profile (page last updated 29/08/2025) and the SARS FAQ on assigning a company representative.

SARS does not publish a fixed document list for registering an organisation in the guides we checked. It says supporting documents may be required, and that if you are not the recorded representative, SARS will ask for documents to verify your personal details and appointment. If SARS asks for documents, its upload rules are:

• Accepted types include .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .jpeg, .jpg, .png and .pdf.
• Maximum file size is 5 MB and file names must be unique.
• You have 21 business days to upload.
• Upload all requested documents before you select Submit. You cannot add more later unless SARS issues a new request.

1. 1

   Find the taxpayer

   Use the menu (the three dots) and search by name, registration number, ID number or tax reference number.
2. 2

   Open Manage Tax Types

   Select View Taxpayer, then Manage Tax Types.
3. 3

   Request activation

   Tick Request Activation (or Request Tax Type Transfer), select Submit and then Continue. The request waits for authorisation by the current owner or representative.

SARS notes that you must be linked to a tax type to transact fully, and that tax type transfers apply only to personal income tax and provisional tax. If you are registered only for VAT or PAYE and not for income tax, SARS says you must first visit a SARS branch to register for income tax or activate the number. To register a business for VAT itself, see our VAT registration guide.

SARS describes a separate confirmation for tax practitioners. Select Services, then My TP Configuration, then Practitioner Activation, enter your tax practitioner number and select Confirm My Tax Practitioner Status. The status shows Registered if the number matches SARS records, or Unconfirmed if not. To let colleagues act, use Delegate Practitioner Authority in My TP Configuration. SARS also says that without practitioner confirmation or linked practitioner users, ITR12 returns are limited to Save only.

• Register for SARS eFiling (individuals)Create your own eFiling user profile.
• Register a Company with CIPCGet the registration number SARS needs.
• Register for VATWhen and how a business registers for VAT.
• Pty Ltd ComplianceOngoing obligations for a private company.
• What is PAYE?Plain-language definition.