Tax Ombud reports an increase e-Filing profiles hijacking

Ms Yanga Mputa is giving a Public Lecture on “Making Taxpayers Rights Matter”. Ms Mputa is hosted by the Faculty of Law at UJ.

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The Office of the Tax Ombud has revealed that incidents of hijacking e-filing profiles are on the rise.

During an online release of the report’s preliminary findings on Wednesday, the Tax Ombud Yanga Mputa pointed out that the highest level of e-Filing Profile Hijacking occurs among registered tax practitioners.

Tax Ombud-Yanga Mputa says tax practitioners accounted for 48% of e-Filing profile hijacking, followed by individual taxpayers at 32%, tax practitioners representing individuals at 13% and corporate taxpayers were the least affected at 5%.

“Because taxpayers represent multiple taxpayer accounts, which require them to log into various taxpayer profiles. This frequent switching in and out of multiple profiles accounts elevates the access of e-filing profile hijacking, making them easy targets. Another and another thing that is the target value, whereby if one tax practitioner logs it gives profile hijackers a lot of access to other taxpayers.”

@sarstax @SAIPAcomms @saica_za @TreasuryRSA The majority of respondents (41%) had a personal experience with eFiling profile hijacking, followed by 38% by those represented by tax practitioners says Tax Ombud Ms Yanga Mputa. #eFiling #Profilehijacking pic.twitter.com/INS2deiSQk

— Tax Ombud SA (@TaxOmbud) May 28, 2025