How to Approve a SARS Tax Product Registration Request
Before a company can be registered for PAYE or VAT, SARS asks the company's registered representative to approve the request. SARS sends you a code by email or SMS, and you approve it on the SARS website. This guide covers the full process.
The approval does not happen inside eFiling
This request will not show up as a pending item when you log in to eFiling, so there is nothing to find there. It is approved on the public Manage Access Requests page on www.sars.gov.za, using the code SARS sent you. If you have been logging in and looking for a pending request, that is why you have not found it.
Go to the official SARS website
"Manage Access Requests" is on the SARS home page. This is the official SARS service — Didiserv cannot approve the request for you.
Step-by-Step Process
Find the notification SARS sent you
SARS sends the registered representative an email or SMS headed "SARS Tax Product registration request received". It contains an approval code. Check your junk, spam and promotions folders, and your phone's message list — the notification often lands there.
Go to the SARS website
Open www.sars.gov.za in your browser. You do not need to log in to eFiling for this step.
Click "Manage Access Requests"
This is a public SARS page, separate from your eFiling profile. This is the only place the request can be approved — it will not appear as a pending item inside eFiling.
Confirm your citizenship status
Indicate whether you are a South African citizen when prompted.
Enter your ID or passport number
Provide your own South African ID number, or your passport number if you are not a South African citizen.
Enter the approval code from the notification
Type the code from the SARS email or SMS into the field labelled "Tax Reference Number / Unique Identifier". This field asks for the code from the notification, not the company tax number.
Submit
Click Submit to move to the authorisation screen.
Complete biometric verification if asked
SARS may ask you to verify your identity using your device camera. This is normally a once-off step. If it appears, allow camera access and follow the on-screen prompts.
Review the power of attorney document
SARS displays a power of attorney document setting out what is being authorised. Read it before continuing.
Select "Authorise" and submit
Choose Authorise and submit the request. Once this is done, tell your Didiserv accountant so the registration can continue.
Common Issues
No email or SMS from SARS has arrived
This almost always means SARS holds an old email address or cell number for you. SARS sends the notification to the details on your personal eFiling profile, not the company's. Check and correct them, then a new request can be lodged.
The request expires if it is not approved
A registration request stays open for a limited period — usually around 10 working days from the date SARS sent it. Once it lapses, it cannot be approved and a fresh request has to be lodged. A request that has already been sent cannot be cancelled or re-sent early; it has to run out first.
This is not the same as a tax type transfer
A tax type transfer moves an existing tax type to a new representative or practitioner. This request asks permission to register the company for a new tax product, such as PAYE or VAT. They are different processes with different screens.
Only the registered representative can approve
SARS sends the request only to the person recorded as the company's registered representative, and only that person can approve it. If the wrong person is recorded, the representative must be updated with SARS first.
Each tax product needs its own approval
PAYE and VAT are approved separately. Approving one does not approve the other — expect a separate notification and a separate approval for each.
Related guides
- How to check and update your contact details at SARS — start here if no SARS email or SMS has reached you.
- Becoming the SARS registered representative — required before you can approve anything for the company.
- Accepting a tax type transfer request — a different process, often confused with this one.
Still need help?
Contact the Didiserv support team and we will guide you through the process.