Documents for your personal tax return review
Which documents you need depends on your income situation - employment, investments, business or rental activity, and other allowances. This guide lists what each situation typically requires as a preparation checklist. It does not assert universal deductions; our team advises what to gather for your situation and how to share it.
Published by Tax Relief SAEditorial policy
Match the documents to your income
Gather by situation, not by sending everything you hold. A certificate that looks wrong can usually be corrected before the return is filed. Records are shared through a verified, agreed channel; our team advises how.
A checklist by income situation
These are the records each situation typically raises. Which apply depends on your actual income sources - not every category is relevant to every taxpayer.
Employment income
- IRP5 or employment certificates for the tax year from each employer.
- Payslips where a certificate is not yet available or appears incorrect.
- UIF or related income records, if applicable to your situation.
Investment and savings income
- Interest certificates (IT3b) from banks and investment providers.
- Dividend statements (IT3c) and any capital gains summaries.
- Foreign income records, where relevant, including any foreign tax credits.
Business, freelance or rental income
- Income and expense records for sole-trader or freelance activity.
- Rental property statements - income, allowable expenses and bond interest.
- Invoices, bank statements and ledgers that support the declared figures.
Other relevant evidence
- Retirement fund contributions and medical scheme receipts.
- Travel and other allowable deductions with supporting records.
- Prior-year assessments and correspondence that set the current position.
Correct before you file
A wrong IRP5 or IT3 can carry the wrong figures onto your return. Where a certificate does not match your records, request a corrected version from the issuer before you file - filing with a known error can create an avoidable assessment dispute later.
Share records through a verified, agreed channel: no legitimate review requires your SARS username, password or one-time PIN. If a return needs to be filed on your behalf, the access and authority are arranged through the engagement process ; our team advises what is needed and how it is arranged.
Secure handoff, not email attachments
Describe first: a confidential assessment begins with a short description of your situation - not a batch of documents. Records are requested only once an engagement is in place and a secure channel is agreed.
Secure channel: documents are shared through a verified, agreed method - not unencrypted email. The how it works page explains when documents are collected and how.
Verify on the official source: confirm current document requirements and return types on the official SARS website before acting on this checklist.
What this guide provides
- A situation-based document checklist - employment, investment, business and other.
- Pointers to personal-return, provisional and outstanding-returns routes.
What is not promised
- Universal deductions. What you may claim depends on your income and records.
- A request to act before the records are confirmed.
Questions about return documents
Which documents apply to me?
That depends on your income sources. Employment, investment, business or rental activity each raise different records. The checklist above is organised by situation so you can identify the relevant categories - not every one applies to every taxpayer. The personal return service explains the assisted review.
What if a certificate is wrong?
Request a corrected version from the issuer before you file. Filing with a known error can create an assessment dispute that is harder to resolve than a corrected certificate. If an assessment has already issued on a wrong figure, a correction or objection may be relevant - the assessment identifies which.
How do I send records securely?
Through a verified, agreed channel. A confidential assessment starts with a short description; our team advises what to gather and how to share it. The how it works page explains the document stage.
Use this as a checklist
Optionally mark a record category as prepared as you gather it. Preparation aid only; selecting an item does not send anything to SARS or Tax Relief SA. Selections are held in memory for this page only and reset when you reload — they are not saved or shared.
Employment income
Investment and savings income
Business, freelance or rental income
Other relevant evidence
A checked box means you marked the item yourself — it does not verify the document, confirm a deduction, or accept a service. Selections are held in memory for this page only and reset on reload.
Prepare the right documents for your return
A confidential assessment identifies which records your situation requires, whether a certificate needs correcting, and how records are shared securely. No outcome is promised. Our team will guide you on what is needed.