South Africa’s tax authority Sars has introduced biometric facial recognition for eFiling registrations. Picture: File
South Africa’s tax authority the South African Revenue Service (Sars) has announced facial recognition may be a requirement for new eFiling registrations for Personal Income Tax.
In a media statement, Sars said that new eFiling registrations for Personal Income Tax may now require facial recognition.
Sars said: “Biometric facial recognition authentication is being introduced for all individuals who register for eFiling using a valid South African ID.”
According to the How To Register for eFiling and Manage your User Profile report by Sars, biometric facial recognition has been introduced to authenticate taxpayers and protect the information of taxpayers from profile hijacking and identity fraud.
The report said that the photos captured will be matched real-time against the applicable reference data and the system will immediately provide the outcome of the biometric authentication.
This requirement will apply to the eFiling website, the Sars MobiApp and the Sars Self Service Kiosks:
– The system will offer instructions of what is required including background setting; removal of head gear and glasses; facial position; and distance from the camera. There is online guidance to help users capture clear photos for the authentication.
– Individuals that use the eFiling website or Sars MobiApp to register will require a device with a camera such as desktop with a webcam or a laptop with a camera feature or a smartphone with a camera.
– Individuals who do not have access to a device with a camera need to book an appointment for a Sars official to assist with the eFiling registration.
The existing eFiling registration, authentication and manual verification process will continue to apply to non-South African citizens, according to Sars.
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