![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SARS.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWestern Cape-based accounting and advisory firm ASL explained that, from April 2025, SARS began suspending the customs codes of traders who failed to onboard and update their information on the RLA platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means the affected businesses were prevented from importing or exporting goods, resulting in delays, reputational damage, and financial penalties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The firm also noted that industry stakeholders reported increased entry rejections at border posts due to incomplete or outdated importer\/exporter validations on SARS’s systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ASL urged businesses to ensure that their RLA data, such as VAT numbers and customs codes, are correctly validated on eFiling to avoid operational pushbacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“While extensive guidance and support resources have been made available, all clients are expected to comply, regardless of sector or circumstances,” said ASL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For businesses that have experienced communication issues due to outdated registration details, it is essential to promptly review and validate all entity information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ASL urged businesses to take the following steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Link profiles on eFiling<\/strong>: Ensure that VAT numbers, import\/export codes, and clearing agent details are correctly linked.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Update your RLA information<\/strong>: This can be initiated via SARS eFiling, but merging legacy codes or correcting legal entity data may still require an in-person visit to a SARS Customs Office.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Assign correct user roles<\/strong>: Internal staff responsible for customs functions must be assigned the appropriate eFiling user roles to access the RLA platform.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Validate all entity details<\/strong>: Incomplete or inaccurate information may cause entries to be rejected, resulting in stalled border transactions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
The group said that businesses that delay this process risk having their customs codes suspended and avoidable disruptions to their supply chains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SARS has made changes to compliance timeframes for businesses involved in specific activities in South Africa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":859622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"failed","_sma_x_autopost_error":"Instagram publishing failed: Instagram returned HTTP 400: Media ID is not available","_sma_x_post_id":"2108513065385779252","_sma_facebook_post_id":"191437357620492_2231414634345602","_sma_instagram_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[26760,3246,23696],"class_list":["post-879093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-government","tag-customs-and-excise-act","tag-sars","tag-sars-efiling"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/879093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/127"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=879093"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/879093\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":879146,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/879093\/revisions\/879146"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/859622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=879093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=879093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=879093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Update your RLA information<\/strong>: This can be initiated via SARS eFiling, but merging legacy codes or correcting legal entity data may still require an in-person visit to a SARS Customs Office.<\/li>\n\n\n\n