SARS has collected a record R2.01trn in net tax revenue in the 2025/26 tax year, reports News24. That’s almost 8.4% higher than the R1.855trn collected in the 2024/25 tax year and exceeds the estimated tax take for the year of R2.007trn outlined in Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s Budget Speech in February 2026.

SA’s tax base also grew to 34m, mainly driven by increased registration of individual taxpayers.

‘Collecting over R2trn is not an accident but the outcome of the more than 14 500 employees who diligently perform millions of activities meticulously to achieve this record collection,’ SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said yesterday.

Net personal income tax comprised R793.98bn, or 39.5% of the total, while net company income tax totalled R349.55bn, or nearly 17.4%.

Net value-added tax (VAT) collections came to R500.44bn for the year, or slightly less than 25% of the total.

SARS said it had given particular focus in the past fiscal year to combating illicit activities in high-risk industries such as alcohol, tobacco and fuel to address the estimated R100 bn in revenue the fiscus loses each year due to illegal activity.

Nevertheless, it said the illicit economy continues to elude the tax system through activities ranging from smuggling to customs and excise fraud, counterfeit trade, as well as fuel and tobacco syndicates.

A focus on boosting tax compliance helped secure R316.39bn across all tax types, of which R164.59 bn was in cash collections and R151.81bn in ‘leakage protection’.

Enhanced debt collection enabled SARS to capture a further R110.9bn in the 2025/26 tax year, while targeted voluntary disclosure compliance initiatives delivered R6.8bn.

Full News24 report