How to file your IRP6 on eFiling
The complete first-period journey for a sole proprietor, freelancer or landlord — from logging in to the proof of payment. Set aside 30–45 minutes the first time. Deadline: Monday, 31 August 2026.
First, estimate what you oweBefore you start, have these ready
- Your eFiling login. If you have never used eFiling, register first at www.sars.gov.za — allow a few days for that, so do not leave it for the 30th.
- Your estimated taxable income for the full tax year: all income (business profit, rental, salary, interest) minus deductible business expenses. Your bookkeeping gives you this number; the calculator turns it into a payment.
- Your PAYE figure from your payslips, if you also earn a salary.
- Internet banking access for the payment at the end.
Log in and find the IRP6
Sign in at www.sarsefiling.co.za. On the top menu, click Returns, then look for Provisional Tax (IRP6) in the menu on the left.
Request the return for the right period
Select the period 2027-01 — the first period of the 2027 tax year — and click Request Return. eFiling issues a fresh IRP6 for that period.
Check your details
The top of the form is pre-filled: your name, tax reference number and the period. Read it once. If anything is wrong — an old address is fine, a wrong tax number is not — stop and fix your registered details before filing.
Enter your estimated taxable income
The form shows your basic amount — your last assessed taxable income, uplifted 8% per year if that assessment is over 18 months old. Now enter your own estimate of taxable income for the full year in the estimate field.
Estimate honestly from your books. Going below the basic amount without a real reason invites SARS to query the return; knowingly estimating low invites the 20% under-estimation penalty at the second period.
Enter tax already paid, and check the result
If you earn a salary, enter the employees' tax (PAYE) deducted for the period, and any foreign tax credits if they apply. The form works out the amount payable for the first period — broadly half the year's tax, less what has already been paid over for you.
Sanity-check the number against the calculator. If they are wildly different, one of your inputs is wrong — find it before you file.
File the return
Save the form, then click File Return and confirm. Filing and paying are two separate acts — you have only done the first one.
Pay SARS — with the right reference
Two clean ways to pay:
Through eFiling: use the payment option on the work page with your bank linked. eFiling sends a "credit push" to your internet banking, where you authorise it. Nothing leaves your account until you approve it in your banking app.
Manual EFT: pay the SARS beneficiary listed inside your internet banking (all major SA banks pre-load it) and use the exact Payment Reference Number (PRN) shown on your IRP6 as the reference. The PRN is what ties your money to this period.
File your proof, diarise the next one
Save the filed IRP6 and the proof of payment together where you will find them at tax season. Then put end February 2027 in your calendar now — the second period is the one with the under-estimation penalty attached, and it will arrive faster than you think.
Know your number before you file
Walk into eFiling with an estimate you trust. The calculator applies the current year's rates and rebates to your own figures, so the amount on the IRP6 never takes you by surprise.
Open the calculatorWatch the same journey on screen
(use the chapter timestamp for the sole proprietor section).
How to file your IRP6 on eFiling
The complete first-period journey for a sole proprietor, freelancer or landlord — from logging in to the proof of payment. Set aside 30–45 minutes the first time. Deadline: Monday, 31 August 2026.
First, estimate what you oweBefore you start, have these ready
- Your eFiling login. If you have never used eFiling, register first at www.sars.gov.za — allow a few days for that, so do not leave it for the 30th.
- Your estimated taxable income for the full tax year: all income (business profit, rental, salary, interest) minus deductible business expenses. Your bookkeeping gives you this number; the calculator turns it into a payment.
- Your PAYE figure from your payslips, if you also earn a salary.
- Internet banking access for the payment at the end.
Log in and find the IRP6
Sign in at www.sarsefiling.co.za. On the top menu, click Returns, then look for Provisional Tax (IRP6) in the menu on the left.
Request the return for the right period
Select the period 2027-01 — the first period of the 2027 tax year — and click Request Return. eFiling issues a fresh IRP6 for that period.
Check your details
The top of the form is pre-filled: your name, tax reference number and the period. Read it once. If anything is wrong — an old address is fine, a wrong tax number is not — stop and fix your registered details before filing.
Enter your estimated taxable income
The form shows your basic amount — your last assessed taxable income, uplifted 8% per year if that assessment is over 18 months old. Now enter your own estimate of taxable income for the full year in the estimate field.
Estimate honestly from your books. Going below the basic amount without a real reason invites SARS to query the return; knowingly estimating low invites the 20% under-estimation penalty at the second period.
Enter tax already paid, and check the result
If you earn a salary, enter the employees' tax (PAYE) deducted for the period, and any foreign tax credits if they apply. The form works out the amount payable for the first period — broadly half the year's tax, less what has already been paid over for you.
Sanity-check the number against the calculator. If they are wildly different, one of your inputs is wrong — find it before you file.
File the return
Save the form, then click File Return and confirm. Filing and paying are two separate acts — you have only done the first one.
Pay SARS — with the right reference
Two clean ways to pay:
Through eFiling: use the payment option on the work page with your bank linked. eFiling sends a "credit push" to your internet banking, where you authorise it. Nothing leaves your account until you approve it in your banking app.
Manual EFT: pay the SARS beneficiary listed inside your internet banking (all major SA banks pre-load it) and use the exact Payment Reference Number (PRN) shown on your IRP6 as the reference. The PRN is what ties your money to this period.
File your proof, diarise the next one
Save the filed IRP6 and the proof of payment together where you will find them at tax season. Then put end February 2027 in your calendar now — the second period is the one with the under-estimation penalty attached, and it will arrive faster than you think.
Know your number before you file
Walk into eFiling with an estimate you trust. The calculator applies the current year's rates and rebates to your own figures, so the amount on the IRP6 never takes you by surprise.
Open the calculatorWatch the same journey on screen
(use the chapter timestamp for the sole proprietor section).