Pretoria: The Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) has extended an invitation to the public to provide input on its Draft Report concerning alleged eFiling Profile Hijacking. This initiative seeks to engage the public in developing a comprehensive and effective strategy to address eFiling profile hijacking, ultimately safeguarding taxpayers’ rights and bolstering trust in South Africa’s tax administration system, as stated by the OTO.
According to South African Government News Agency, the draft report emerged from an investigation conducted by the ombud into alleged eFiling profile hijacking incidents. Earlier this year, between February 3 and March 5, 2025, the OTO conducted the eFiling Profile Hijacking Survey to gather insights into taxpayers’ experiences and difficulties associated with eFiling profile hijacking. Preliminary findings from this survey were presented during a public workshop held on May 28, 2025.
The initial plan was to release the draft report for public comment in July 2025. However, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) requested additional time to respond to the draft report and its recommendations. Consequently, the OTO announced on July 2, 2025, that the publication of the draft report would be postponed to August 31, 2025, due to ongoing discussions with SARS.
Key findings of the report indicate that eFiling profile hijacking is particularly prevalent among tax practitioners and individual taxpayers. Most cases involve Personal Income Tax and Value-Added Tax (VAT), with fraudulent transactions typically involving amounts under R10,000 but potentially reaching up to R100,000. Identified vulnerabilities include inadequate authentication processes, challenges in fraud detection, delayed SARS response times, insider threats, and low digital security awareness among taxpayers.
The report also outlines key recommendations for various stakeholders. For SARS, suggestions include enhancing authentication protocols, improving fraud detection and refund verification systems, boosting taxpayer education, and strengthening collaboration with banks, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), and the South African Police Service (SAPS). Tax practitioners are urged to implement stricter controls on third-party access and maintain high professional conduct standards. Taxpayers are advised to use strong passwords, activate two-factor authentication, and regularly monitor eFiling profile activities. National Treasury is encouraged to amend certain provisions in the Tax Administration Act and establish an Inspector-General as recommended by the Nugent Commission of inquiry. Additionally, the South African Reserve Bank is tasked with investigating banking irregularities linked to eFiling profile hijacking.
The draft report is accessible online at [OTO Draft Report Written comments should be forwarded to [email protected], and for further information, individuals can visit The deadline for comments is October 31, 2025.