Can I Get a Tax Number While Unemployed in South Africa?

Yes, you can get a tax number while unemployed in South Africa. You do not need to wait until you receive your first salary to register for personal income tax. SARS provides registration channels for individuals, including eFiling, its Online Query System and mobile services. Having a tax number does not automatically mean that you owe income tax.

SARS’s guidance for job seekers explains that it assists people who approach it to register and that individuals can register through eFiling. It also says that employers have ways to register first-time employees. South African Revenue Service

Before applying, check whether you already have a number. If you worked previously, lost your job or misplaced your paperwork, you may need to retrieve an existing registration rather than create another one.

Information checked: 24 September 2026. This article explains registration and general administrative responsibilities. Individual tax liability and filing requirements depend on your circumstances.

Being Unemployed Does Not Prevent Tax Registration

There is a difference between being registered with SARS and receiving a salary. Registration gives you a reference for your personal income tax affairs; it is not evidence that you currently have employment.

A person looking for their first job might want to organise their paperwork before accepting an offer. Someone between jobs might need a replacement registration notice. Another person may have no employer but receive money from freelance work or a small business.

Those situations should not all be treated as identical. Start by asking what you actually need:

• A first-time tax registration.
• An existing tax number.
• Proof of registration.
• Help understanding income you receive outside employment.

SARS’s personal income tax registration page sets out the available channels. Its individual registration routes are not presented as a process that requires every applicant to produce a current employment contract. South African Revenue Service

Do not invent an employer, salary or starting date to complete an application. If a question does not seem to fit your situation, check that you selected the correct service and ask SARS how to proceed.

Registration, Paying Tax and Filing a Return Are Different

Much of the confusion comes from treating these three things as if they were the same step.

Question	What it means
Am I registered?	SARS has a personal income tax registration for you
Do I owe income tax?	Your circumstances and applicable tax rules produce an amount payable
Must I submit a return?	The filing rules or a SARS requirement call for a return for a particular year

Getting a number does not create an imaginary salary. Equally, not having a job does not prove that you have no income relevant to tax.

SARS’s Personal Income Tax page explains registration and return obligations separately, including the relevance of taxable income and the annual filing rules. South African Revenue Service

For a useful starting point, write down whether you earned anything during the relevant tax year, where it came from and what documents you have.

Avoid making a decision based only on whether you have a job today.

Do You Need a Tax Number Before Applying for Your First Job?

SARS says that it does not require a person to have an existing tax number when they are employed for the first time. Its job-seeker guidance explains that employers can register employees through their available systems. South African Revenue Service

This does not mean you should ignore an employer’s request for tax information. Ask when the number is needed and whether payroll can help with registration if you have never been registered.

There is also an important current requirement: SARS’s PAYE guidance says valid employee income tax numbers are mandatory for employer reconciliation submissions. Employers therefore need to resolve missing numbers as part of their payroll compliance. South African Revenue Service

The practical distinction is timing. An employer’s need to obtain a valid number for submissions does not mean SARS requires every first-time job seeker to arrive at an interview already registered.

If an application form will not let you proceed without a number, contact the verified recruiter. Explain that you are a first-time applicant and ask how to complete the field.

Do not enter a made-up number, a relative’s reference or your ID number simply to get past the form.

First Check Whether You Already Have a SARS Number

If you have worked before, your first step should usually be checking the existing record. Losing employment does not mean you should start another registration from scratch.

SARS’s Client Information System guidance recommends checking whether you are registered before applying. Existing eFilers can request their Notice of Registration through the SARS Registered Details menu. South African Revenue …

Other retrieval routes include the official tax-number enquiry service and mobile channels.

For detailed instructions, read our guides to checking your SARS tax number via SMS and getting your SARS tax number on WhatsApp.

A missing document, forgotten password and missing registration are different problems. Write down which one you have before selecting a service.

For example, if an old employer previously gave you a tax document, start by finding or confirming that record. If you cannot access an old email account, address account access rather than assuming no tax number exists.

What Information Should an Unemployed Applicant Prepare?

Prepare your personal information before opening a registration form. This reduces interruptions and makes it easier to enter consistent details.

A practical preparation list includes:

• Your valid identification and its correct details.
• Your full names as recorded on that identification.
• Your current residential address.
• A cellphone number you control.
• An email address you can access, where required or applicable.
• Any existing SARS correspondence.
• Supporting documents requested by the particular channel you use.

This is a preparation checklist, not a claim that every route requires every item to be uploaded. Follow the actual instructions for your chosen service.

SARS’s supporting documents for registration page lists identification documents and explains additional requirements for circumstances such as minors or representation. It also links to separate banking-document guidance. sars.gov.za

Read the instructions that apply to an individual applicant. Requirements for a company, trust or employer payroll registration should not be copied into your personal application.

What If You Do Not Have a Payslip?

Do not assume that lacking a payslip prevents first-time registration. The individual registration routes discussed here are not restricted to people already receiving wages.

If a particular request asks for income evidence, explain your circumstances honestly and clarify what SARS needs.

Do not upload someone else’s payslip or manufacture one.

What If You Live With Family?

Living with parents or relatives does not justify entering an address where you do not live. If proof is requested and the account is in another person’s name, check the accepted process for third-party confirmation.

SARS publishes a CRA01 residential or business address confirmation form. The form calls for accompanying proof of address.

Confirm that it is appropriate for your request and supply the required supporting material. SARS

How to Get a Tax Number While Unemployed

Choose one suitable official route and work through it carefully. Starting several registrations at once makes it harder to follow the outcome or explain a problem.

Option 1: Register Through eFiling

SARS’s Register as a Taxpayer page explains that first-time eFiling registration can automatically register a person for personal income tax if they do not already have a number.

The stated route requires a valid South African ID. sars.gov.za

To begin:

1. Open the official SARS website and follow its eFiling registration link.
2. Choose registration rather than an existing-user login.
3. Enter your own personal details accurately.
4. Complete the verification requested on screen.
5. Read the outcome and address any outstanding requirements.
6. Obtain your registration notice once the process succeeds.

Create login details you can keep securely. If another person helps you read the screen, make sure your account uses contact information that you control.

Do not treat reaching the end of a form as proof that every check has passed. Save any reference and read the final message before telling an employer the registration is complete.

Option 2: Use the SARS Online Query System

SARS’s announcement on online personal income tax registration confirms that individuals can submit a registration request through the Online Query System, commonly called SOQS. sars.gov.za

Access the registration service through the official SARS website.

Select the first-time registration option when that is what you need. A request to find an existing number serves a different purpose.

Read each field before completing it. Where a form checks identity information or asks for additional verification, use genuine details rather than changing them to make the application pass.

Keep a private record of any acknowledgement. If you receive an instruction to supply more information, respond through the specified official route.

Option 3: Register Through WhatsApp or USSD

SARS offers registration through WhatsApp at 0800 11 7277 and through its USSD service at *134*7277#.

The mobile-services guide describes a Register for Tax option. For these registration routes, it specifies a valid South African ID, names, residential address and email information where applicable. www.sars.gov.za

Choose registration if you have never been registered. The Tax Reference Number or What’s My Tax Number? option is intended for finding existing registration information.

USSD may be useful when you do not have mobile data. WhatsApp requires an internet connection.

Follow the prompts and keep the confirmation once your details have been verified.

Option 4: Ask SARS for Assisted Registration

If the online route does not fit your identity documents or you cannot complete verification, use official assistance.

A digital rejection is a reason to clarify the problem, not to invent different personal information.

SARS’s registration page lists branch assistance and the Contact Centre number 0800 00 7277. Arrange an appointment before a branch visit and confirm which documents apply to your case. South African Revenue Service

If you rely on public transport, checking the appointment and document requirements first can prevent an avoidable return trip.

Keep your original documents secure and bring the copies SARS requests.

What If You Do Not Have a South African ID?

Some digital registration routes specifically require a valid South African ID. That limitation should not be interpreted as a statement that everyone with a passport is excluded from all tax registration.

The supporting-document guidance includes passports and other identification for appropriate circumstances. The correct process depends on your status and documents. sars.gov.za

Use the official assisted route if a form does not accommodate you. Do not select South African ID and enter a passport number into that field merely to continue.

If you hold updated identification, explain which document is current and whether SARS already has an earlier record.

Resolving a mismatch properly is more useful than repeatedly trying different numbers.

Will SARS Start Charging You Tax Because You Registered?

Registration alone does not establish an income tax bill. Your income, applicable exemptions, deductions, rebates and other relevant facts determine the tax outcome.

However, “unemployed” does not always mean “no income.” Someone without a salaried job could still receive business income, rent or investment income. Each source needs to be considered under the rules that apply to it.

Do not assume that every deposit into a bank account is salary. Equally, do not exclude money from paid work merely because the payer was not a formal employer.

Keep enough records to explain the source and nature of the money.

If you have no income, do not invent an amount when dealing with SARS. If you have some income and are unsure how it is treated, ask a specific question about that source rather than relying on the label “unemployed”.

Must an Unemployed Person Submit a Tax Return?

There is no reliable answer based only on current employment status.

Consider the relevant tax year, the income received during it, applicable filing rules and any SARS communication requiring action.

Use SARS’s Do You Need to Submit a Return? tool and its current filing guidance. If your circumstances do not fit the questions clearly, request clarification. sars.gov.za

Do not submit a nil return simply because you have no job today. A nil declaration would be inappropriate if it leaves out income earned earlier in the year or another amount that must be declared.

For illustration, someone who worked for several months and then lost their job has a different annual record from someone who had no income throughout the period.

Both may describe themselves as unemployed when filing season arrives, but their records are not interchangeable.

What If You Lost Your Job During the Tax Year?

Keep the documents covering the period when you were employed. Request missing employment tax certificates and preserve records relating to other income or relevant expenses.

SARS’s supporting documents for filing page includes IRP5/IT3(a) certificates, interest certificates and other documents depending on the taxpayer’s circumstances. South African Revenue Service

Make a simple timeline showing when each job started and ended. This helps you check employment periods and identify missing paperwork without assuming the latest payslip tells the whole story.

Do not assume job loss guarantees a refund. A refund depends on the actual assessment and amounts already paid, among other relevant factors.

Someone offering a guaranteed refund merely because you became unemployed is making a claim you should question.

Keep your email and cellphone details current so you can receive correspondence after leaving work. Avoid relying permanently on an employer-controlled email account for personal tax access.

What If You Earn Money From Freelancing or Small Jobs?

If you receive payment for photography, writing, repairs, online services or another activity, record it even if the work is irregular.

A basic spreadsheet or notebook can capture:

• The date.
• The customer.
• The amount received.
• What the payment was for.
• Related expense evidence.

Separate money earned from work from transfers that have a different explanation.

Business or other non-salary income may also raise provisional-tax questions. SARS’s Provisional Tax guidance explains that this is a method of paying income tax during the year and sets out who falls within the rules and exclusions. South African Revenue Service

Do not assume every occasional payment makes you liable for the same obligations, but do not ignore the question because nobody deducts PAYE.

If your activity becomes regular, review the position early instead of waiting until you receive a notice.

Three Examples to Help You Choose the Right Next Step

These examples illustrate administrative choices; they are not individual tax assessments.

Example 1: A First-Time Job Seeker

A school leaver has never worked and is asked for a tax number during recruitment.

They can use a suitable registration route or ask the verified employer about assistance.

They should not invent a salary or substitute an ID number for the requested tax reference.

Example 2: A Person Between Jobs

Someone previously employed cannot find their number after losing access to an old email account.

Their first task is retrieval or contact-detail recovery, not a second registration.

They should also keep documents for the period they worked.

Example 3: An Unemployed Person Doing Paid Projects

A person without a permanent job earns money from occasional design work.

They can register, but their next question is how those earnings affect their obligations.

Keeping records makes that question easier to answer accurately.

Keep Your Registration and Documents Secure

Once registered, obtain the Notice of Registration and check that the personal information belongs to you. Save the document somewhere private and confirm that the saved copy opens.

Provide it through a verified employer channel when needed. Avoid uploading it to public job groups or giving your account credentials to someone who offers to organise the application.

SARS’s scams and phishing guidance warns against requests for passwords, OTPs, banking PINs and login credentials through messages or calls. www.sars.gov.za

If professional help is necessary, verify the practitioner and agree on the service being provided.

You should understand whether they are helping with registration, account recovery or a return. These are different tasks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Register Before I Receive a Job Offer?

Yes. You can use an appropriate individual registration route while looking for work.

First check whether an existing record already exists, and provide truthful personal information.

Do I Need Another Number After Losing My Job?

Do not apply for another number simply because employment ended.

Retrieve and confirm your existing registration, update details where necessary and check any outstanding responsibilities.

Can My Employer Help Me Register?

Yes. SARS provides employer registration processes.

Ask the payroll administrator what information they need and use the employer’s verified communication channel.

What If an Application Asks for Proof of Registration?

Ask whether it requires the IT150 document.

A typed reference number and an uploaded registration notice are different submissions. Keep the original notice rather than recreating an unofficial certificate yourself.

How Long Will Registration Take?

Do not rely on a guaranteed completion time. Verification or missing information can require follow-up.

Keep any acknowledgement and avoid claiming that you are registered until the outcome confirms it.

Must I Declare That I Am Employed to Get Through the Form?

No. Answer honestly.

If the form seems to require an employer when you have none, check the selected service and ask SARS for guidance instead of entering false information.

Conclusion

You can register for a tax number while unemployed. Begin by checking for an existing number, choose a suitable SARS registration channel and provide accurate information.

Keep your registration notice, then assess tax-payment and return-filing questions separately using your actual income and circumstances.