Documentation required to complete your return

Supporting documents are required to complete an income tax return. Below is a list of documentation/information that may be required:

• IRP5/IT3(a) Employees Tax Certificate (if applicable)
  
  
• Certificates received for local interest income, foreign interest income and foreign dividend income
  • If you are married in community of property, the certificates received by both you (the taxpayer) and your spouse are required
  • If you married out of community of property, only the certificates that you receive are required.
    
    
•  Documents relating to medical expenditure such as:
  • The income tax certificate from your medical scheme received for the period 1 March and ending 28 February (if you belong to a medical scheme)
  • Proof of qualifying medical expenses paid by you and not recovered from a  medical scheme
  • Completed ITR-DD Confirmation of Diagnosis of Disability form (if you want to claim disability related expenses).
    
    
• The income tax certificate(s) received from the financial institution to which contributions for retirement annuities were made.
  
  
• If you received a travel allowance or a fringe benefit for an employer provided vehicle, you must have a logbook to claim the business travel deductions.
  
  
• All information relating to capital gain transactions (local and foreign)
  
  
• Documents and receipts for commission related expenditure including a logbook to claim business travel deductions
  
  
• All information relating to the letting of assets
  
  
• Financial statements for trading and farming activities (if applicable)
  
  
• Any other documents relating to income that must be declared or deductions that may be claimed.

For more info on how to upload the supporting documents to eFiling and the required standard and format, click here.

Top tip: Even though you will be using the supporting documents to complete your return, you mustn’t send them to SARS. You must keep them safely for a period of five years should SARS require them in future.