Important: SARS Annual Income Tax Requirements

SARS has introduced additional information requirements for the ITR14 income tax return that are particularly relevant to Bodies Corporate and their members.

The SARS ITR14 guide, effective 2 March 2026, requires the Share / Membership Register to be completed of no more than 20 members.

If the body corporate consists of fewer than 20 units, details of all members must be provided.

Please refer to the following SARS ITR14 guide link, page 18 onward:

What information does SARS require from the members?
The information required by SARS goes beyond what is traditionally maintained on a scheme's membership register.

For members, the ITR14 requires:

• Full names and initials;
• Date of birth;
• South African ID number or passport details;
• Confirmation of whether the member is registered for tax in South Africa;
• Income tax reference number, where applicable;
• Where the member is not registered for Income Tax in South Africa, a reason must be provided;
• Cellphone number; and
• Email address.

Where a unit or property is owned by a company, trust or other entity, additional information, apart from the above, is required, including registration details, trading name and nature of entity.

Additional requirements for Body Corporates

Where the taxpayer is identified as a Body Corporate, the return requires confirmation that the Body Corporate is registered with the Deeds Office, together with the relevant Deeds Office Registration Number and number of members (units).

Importantly, SARS states that, if the Body Corporate cannot confirm its Deeds Office registration, an error message will be generated indicating that a Body Corporate must be registered with the Deeds Office.

This makes it increasingly important for schemes to maintain complete and accurate statutory records.
 
What happens if the required information is not available?

The impact of incomplete information can extend beyond an administrative inconvenience.
A scheme that cannot obtain the required information may face:

• Delayed or unsuccessful submission of its annual income tax return;
• SARS administrative penalties;
• Additional professional and administrative costs in addressing the non-compliance;
• Possible SARS enforcement action; and
• An adverse impact on the scheme’s overall tax compliance position.

SARS notes that the ITR14 is a legal declaration and that the information submitted must be accurate and complete. In practical terms, a failure by members to provide the information requested can place the entire scheme at risk of non-compliance.

Why does this matter to every owner?
Your personal tax affairs are separate from those of your Body Corporate. However, SARS requires certain member information to be disclosed as part of the Body Corporate's ITR14.

This means that compliance is not something that can be handled by the trustees, managing agent, auditor or tax practitioner alone.

It requires everyone to play their part.

Additional administration, professional costs or penalties arising from compliance issues are ultimately costs of the scheme — and therefore affect all members.

Teamwork Makes the ITR14 Work!

Bellbuoy has circulated the relevant SARS compliance notification to members of the schemes under our management accompanied by a letter from their appointed auditor.

These requirements cannot be addressed by the trustees, managing agent or the scheme’s auditors alone. Successful compliance depends on the cooperation of members.

If you have not yet provided the information requested, please take a moment to review the correspondence and send the outstanding information to Bellbuoy without delay.

Providing complete and accurate information on time helps your Body Corporate meet its SARS obligations and keeps the ITR14 process running smoothly.

Most importantly, your cooperation makes a difference beyond your own records. By doing your part, you help protect the compliance position and financial interests of your entire community scheme.

By working together, members, trustees and the professionals supporting the scheme can help ensure that the ITR14 submission is completed accurately and on time.

Thank you for playing your part!
 
The Bellbuoy Group
 
Disclaimer: This article is intended to explain the SARS information requirements communicated to schemes and members and is provided for general information purposes only. It does not constitute tax or legal advice. Scheme-specific queries should be referred to the scheme’s appointed accountant, auditor, tax practitioner or other suitably qualified professional.