Diesel refunds: merge your SARS profiles before you register on the new system

22 Oct

Written by Nicolene Steenkamp, Education Manager, Chartered Institute for Business Accountants (CIBA)

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SARS has written to traders to say that they cannot register on the new Diesel Refund system until their legal-entity profile is validated, confirmed and merged. The letter, reference DRS/2026/2110/1, is dated 20 October 2026 and signed by Anand Khelawon, Product Owner: Excise.

AW reported on 17 September 2026 that the final phase of diesel refund registration would go live on 18 September 2026 and that a valid, confirmed legal-entity profile was needed. The new letter adds that tax and customs profiles must also be merged with the Legal Entity Registration.

What SARS says

SARS has matched some entities automatically, and their profiles already show the “Validated” and “Confirmed” statuses. Other entities could not be updated automatically. Those taxpayers must act themselves, and until they do they cannot access the new Diesel Refund platform.

How to validate, confirm and merge

Log in to SARS eFiling and follow the SARS step-by-step guide: Merging tax profiles.
Merge the tax and customs profiles with the Legal Entity Registration, using GEN-ELEC-15-G01: Guide to the Entity Merge Functionality on eFiling.
For help, visit a SARS branch (use the SARS branch finder) or, for Large Business and International (LBI) clients, contact the LBI Segment Relationship Management Team.
Call the SARS contact centre on 0800 00 7277 if you need further help.
Once the profiles are merged, register for diesel refunds on eFiling. Send registration follow-ups to rlaregistrations@sars.gov.za.

Who it affects

Diesel refund claimants, including farmers, foresters, miners and other primary sector users, and the practitioners who handle their VAT and diesel refund claims.

What this means for accountants and finance professionals

Check status before registering. A profile SARS could not auto-match blocks registration completely. Check each diesel client’s legal-entity profile on eFiling before starting the registration.
Customs profiles are included. Clients registered for customs or excise as well as income tax and VAT need all of these merged under one legal entity. Mismatched details across these registrations are a likely cause of failed auto-matching.
No deadline is given. SARS has not set a date in this letter. Clients who are not registered on the new system cannot claim through it, so delays affect their cash flow.
Keep a record. Note the date each profile was merged and registered, in case SARS queries a refund claim later.