South African Revenue Service Implements Biometric Security for Online Tax Filing

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has announced a significant change to its eFiling registration process for personal income tax, now requiring biometric facial recognition for individuals using a valid South African ID. This new security measure applies across the eFiling website, SARS MobiApp, and SARS Self-Service Kiosks.

According to SARS technical specifications, the system implements ISO/IEC 30107-3 compliant presentation attack detection (PAD) and follows the International Biometrics + Identity Association (IBIA) guidelines for facial recognition deployment. Users need a device equipped with a camera, such as a desktop with a webcam, laptop, or smartphone. For those without camera-enabled devices, appointments can be booked for in-person assistance by a SARS official.

The implementation follows similar successful deployments in South Africa’s public sector, including the Airports Company South Africa’s recent R100-million biometric upgrade project. The existing registration and authentication process will continue to apply for non-South African citizens, maintaining compliance with international taxation agreements.

The enhanced security measures come in response to a surge in eFiling fraud reported earlier in 2024, where criminals employed vishing and social engineering tactics to hijack taxpayer profiles. This prompted the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) to launch a comprehensive review in August 2024, investigating systemic vulnerabilities with particular focus on authentication protocols that criminals had successfully bypassed. The ongoing review has already identified several critical security gaps in the previous system.

While SARS maintains there is no evidence of internal involvement in fraudulent activities, the organization has expressed full support for the OTO’s review and committed to implementing all recommended security enhancements. The introduction of biometric facial recognition represents a significant step forward, aligning with broader African initiatives toward secure digital identity systems, as evidenced by similar programs being implemented across neighboring countries.

Sources: Business Tech

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November 4, 2024 – by Ali Nassar-Smith