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SARS API Integration

Connecting DataGrows to SARS eFiling

Written by Mariska

The SARS API Integration is one of the most powerful automation features available in DataGrows. Once connected, DataGrows can communicate directly with your SARS eFiling portfolios, automate the retrieval of taxpayer information, download correspondence, request and submit IRP6s, and significantly reduce the manual administration involved in tax compliance.

The goal is simple:

Spend less time working in SARS eFiling and more time servicing your clients.

What Does the SARS Integration Do?

The SARS eFiling API allows DataGrows to securely connect to your SARS portfolios and automate various compliance processes.

Once connected, DataGrows can:

✅ Import taxpayers from SARS

✅ Download SARS correspondence automatically

✅ Retrieve correspondence on demand

✅ Link SARS correspondence to tasks

✅ Request IRP6 returns automatically

✅ Submit IRP6 returns directly from DataGrows

✅ Monitor SARS submission statuses

✅ Improve workflow and compliance tracking

This automation dramatically reduces repetitive administrative work and improves turnaround times across your firm.

Before You Start: Connect Your SARS Profile

Before any SARS functionality can be used, your SARS portfolio must be connected to DataGrows.

Navigate to:

Setup → Firm Settings

Within Firm Settings, you'll find the SARS ISV User Details section where the connection is configured.

Important: The SARS API connection is the foundation of all other SARS automation features. Without it, DataGrows cannot communicate with SARS.

Step 1: Activate DataGrows on SARS eFiling

Before DataGrows can connect to SARS, SARS must generate API credentials for your portfolio.

In SARS eFiling

  1. Log into your SARS eFiling portfolio.

  2. Select the portfolio you want to connect.

  1. Navigate to: Organisation → ISV Activation

  1. Search for: Kibo Computers (The company that owns DataGrows)

  1. Select it and click Save.

SARS will generate a unique set of ISV User Details for that portfolio.

These credentials are required in DataGrows.

Note: If your firm has multiple SARS portfolios, each portfolio must be connected separately.

Important: Portfolio Type Requirements

SARS API integrations can only be connected to portfolios configured as Tax Practitioner or Organisation Types.

If a client currently exists on an Individual portfolio, the profile may need to be converted to an Organisation profile before the API can be connected.

This does not affect:

  • Tax obligations

  • Income tax submissions

  • SARS compliance requirements

It simply allows the portfolio to support API integrations.

On SARS EFiling> click on My Profile button, then choose Portfolio Management. On your Linked Portfolio types that are Individual, click on the 3 dots and choose “Change Portfolio type”.

Step 2: Create the Connection in DataGrows

Once SARS has generated your ISV credentials:

  1. Open Setup & Integrations → Setup → Firm Settings

  2. Select the relevant firm

  3. Open the SARS ISV User Details tab within the Firm record

  4. Click Add Record

  5. Copy and paste the information from SARS into the matching fields

1. Portfolio Name

2. Login Name

3. Login Key

Please ensure that all information is copied and pasted directly from eFiling without any modifications. Accuracy is critical to prevent failure of the connection to SARS.

Supported Configurations

DataGrows supports:

✅ Multiple firms

✅ Multiple SARS portfolios

✅ Multiple organisational SARS accounts

Step 3: Import SARS Taxpayers

Once the SARS credentials have been saved:

  1. Select the firm record’s checkbox

  2. Click Actions

  3. Choose: Import SARS Taxpayers

When the import completes successfully, DataGrows will confirm the process.

At this point, your SARS integration setup is complete.

Linking Clients to SARS

For DataGrows to use the integration effectively, client registration numbers must be maintained correctly.

The following fields are particularly important:

Income Tax Number

VAT Number

PAYE Number

These registration numbers are used to:

  • Retrieve correspondence

  • Request provisional tax returns

  • Submit IRP6 returns

  • Support future SARS integrations

Automatic Client Validation

Where a Tax Reference number matches SARS via the API connection to your SARS EFiling profile, the system will automatically tick the following new fields on your Client's Table:

✅ Tax Linked

✅ VAT Linked

✅ PAYE Linked

It is easy for you to identify whether the API has been able to link those Tax Reference numbers to SARS, by sorting or filtering on the Tax linked, PAYE linked or VAT linked columns on your Client’s table, for where they are not switched on.

Tip: If your clients’ Tax, PAYE, or VAT Reference Numbers have not yet been captured in the Clients Table, use the Client Data Upload Template to add this information efficiently.

Detailed instructions on how to generate, complete, and upload the Client Data Upload Template are available in Getting Started: Accounting CRM and Practice Management Application

Validating Client Reference Numbers

To review a client's registration numbers:

  1. Open the Client Record.

  2. Navigate to the Details tab.

  3. Select the Statutory Registration Numbers tab.

  4. Verify:

  • Income Tax Number

  • VAT Number

  • PAYE Number

5. Save & View the record.

6. The linked checkboxes should be checked for Tax types where appropriate which exist on the SARS EFiling Profiles you have integrated with.

Correct registration numbers are essential for the integration to work properly.

Important: DataGrows can only download correspondence for tax types where the corresponding registration number has been captured.

For example:

  • Tax Number only = Income Tax correspondence only

  • VAT Number only = VAT correspondence only

  • PAYE Number only = PAYE correspondence only

Using the SARS ISV Audit Log

Important Insight: The ISV Audit Log only displays client records that are not fully matched.

Clients with all required Tax Reference Numbers captured and successfully linked to SARS through the integration will not appear in this report. Their absence indicates that the matching process has been completed successfully

The SARS ISV Audit Log helps identify missing registration information.

Navigate to: Reports → SARS ISV Audit Log, click on the paperclip to activate the report. (or from Clients – Reports)

This report highlights:

  • Missing Income Tax Numbers

  • Missing VAT Numbers

  • Missing PAYE Numbers

  • Clients that are not yet linked

Understanding the Colours

Green/Teal Numbers

  • Already linked successfully.

Red Numbers

  • Exist on SARS but have not yet been captured in DataGrows.

Not Linked to Client

  • DataGrows cannot identify which client owns the registration numbers.

· Where the Client field shows “not linked to client”, it means none of the registration numbers have been added and we can’t identify the client. To solve this, search for the tax reference number on eFiling. SARS will bring up the client if they are on the portfolio you logged in with.

· Clients on their own portfolio will not come up in this search so it might take a few tries to find them and link them. But don’t give up. The integration and the benefits will be worth it!

Pro Tip: Update DataGrows using the Clients Data Upload Excel template to speed up entry.

The goal is simple:

An empty audit report means your client registration information is complete and fully linked.

Why Firms Love the SARS Integration

The SARS API integration helps firms:

✅ Eliminate repetitive SARS administration

✅ Reduce manual data capturing

✅ Improve turnaround times

✅ Monitor SARS interactions centrally

✅ Maintain stronger compliance visibility

✅ Keep client information up to date

✅ Automate provisional tax workflows

✅ Prepare for future SARS integrations

Key Takeaways

✅ Connect your SARS profile through the SARS ISV Integration before using any SARS automation.

✅ Activate DataGrows (Kibo Computers) under SARS ISV Activation.

✅ Import taxpayers directly from SARS.

✅ Ensure Tax, VAT, and PAYE numbers are maintained correctly on client records.

✅ DataGrows automatically requests many IRP6 returns overnight.

✅ Manual requests are available when needed.

✅ The SARS ISV Audit Log helps identify missing registration numbers.

✅ Activity logs provide full visibility into all SARS interactions.

✅ The integration dramatically reduces administrative work while improving compliance management.

Remember: The quality of your SARS automation depends on the quality of your client data. Once your portfolios are connected and your registration numbers are maintained correctly, DataGrows can handle much of the repetitive SARS administration automatically, freeing your team to focus on higher-value client work. 🚀

Next Steps

Save, Request and Submit IRP6s

You can Save, Request and Submit IRP6s directly from DataGrows through our SARS integration. This post will explain how.

SARS Correspondence Integration

DataGrows can download SARS Correspondence issued for clients from the first day of the current month for all your linked portfolios. This post will explain how.

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