How Do I Find My PAYE Reference Number

By Trev Gami •  Updated: 01/23/24 •  4 min read

Taxation plays a crucial role in South Africa’s financial agenda, as it serves as the main source of funding for public services and infrastructure. Tax revenue is crucial for the government as it helps fund different sectors and initiatives that play a significant role in the overall development and well-being of the nation. The South African government utilises taxation to allocate resources towards crucial public services like healthcare, education, and social welfare programmes. 

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One of the main factors Regarding taxes is that each taxpayer is given a unique PAYE reference number. This number plays a vital role in ensuring accurate identification and accurate record-keeping. The system ensures that each taxpayer is given a unique identifier, which helps to easily differentiate individuals from one another. This reduces the likelihood of confusion or mismanagement. The reference number is extremely important for a variety of tax-related tasks, including filing tax returns, making payments, and accessing relevant information.

What is the PAYE reference number for SARS?

What at all is the PAYE reference number for SARS? What contributes to the PAYE reference number? Here is what you need to know about the PAYE reference number.

A PAYE reference number is assigned to each employer to facilitate this process and guarantee correct record keeping. 

The reference number acts as a unique identifier for the employer and is utilised in different interactions with SARS. Differentiating one employer from another and ensuring that the correct tax payments are attributed to the respective companies is beneficial.

 In addition, the PAYE reference number is used for reporting purposes. The PAYE reference number is a crucial code that employers and companies use for tax purposes. The unique identifier is a 10-digit number that always starts with the digit 7. To ensure that the correct amount of tax, known as PAYE, is contributed to SARS, each employer is assigned a unique PAYE reference number. This allows the employer to accurately track and allocate the appropriate tax payments.

How do I find my PAYE reference number?

There are times when, as an employee, you may need your PAYE reference number for easy tracking and management of your income tax payment.
To find your PAYE reference number you can request it from SARS or through the filled SARS form for your tax registration. Also, individuals can find their reference number on eFiling account specifically on the tax payment statement. 

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Which employees pay PAYE tax?

Employees’ Tax is the term used to describe the tax that an employer is obligated to deduct from the remuneration they pay to their employees. PAYE, which stands for Pay As You Earn, is the widely used term for the procedure of deducting or withholding tax from an employee’s earnings as they are received.

In the South African context, employees who are fit to work within the agreed labour terms and earn an amount over R7000 are required to pay PAYE tax. Also, domestic workers who earn a decent amount and fall within the criteria of SARS are required to pay PAYE tax.

What is the difference between the income tax number and the PAYE reference number?

There are a lot of different tax terms, but one question stands out: Are the Income Tax Number and the PAYE Reference Number the same thing? 

Just brace yourself for the fact that these two are not the same. Knowing they are not the same is an iota of truth but understanding the difference between these two will give you a better insight. 

First, let’s look at the PAYE Reference Number, which is a 10-digit that can start with the number 7. Employers are the ones who make PAYE  payments to the South African Revenue Service, which is always on the lookout for this complicated code. It’s like a hidden handshake written on the holy IRP5 form, linking employers to the tax duties of their workers who don’t know it.

Taking into account the income tax number, it starts with 0, 1, 2, 3, or 9.  It’s not just a number.  it is the key to a person’s tax secrets, written down on the IRP5 form. The big stage of taxes is that SARS uses this number to keep track of all of your financial moves.

When it comes down to it, both of these numbers are important in the tax world. The PAYE Reference Number connects companies to their PAYE systems, while the Income Tax Number is your unique tax stamp. 

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