TaxTim
TaxTim is a Cape Town-based digital tax assistant that helps South African individuals and small businesses file ITR12, IRP6, and ITR14 tax returns via a guided chat interface with native SARS eFiling integration, serving 4M+ users annually at roughly one-third the cost of a tax practitioner.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What TaxTim does
TaxTim is a Cape Town-based digital tax assistant platform that helps South African individuals and small businesses prepare and submit personal income tax (ITR12), provisional tax (IRP6), and company tax (ITR14) returns through a guided, plain-English chat interface. The platform is operated by Human Robot (Proprietary) Limited and integrates directly with SARS eFiling for automated data import (IRP5, medical aid, retirement, interest certificates) and one-click return submission, supported by 1,300+ automated validation checks. Pricing is tiered per return (Lite R215, Smart R565, Ultra R895 for ITR12; R600-R1,199 for IRP6/ITR14) with users paying only at submission, roughly one-third the cost of a traditional tax practitioner.
The technology stack is built on Amazon Web Services with ISO 27001-compliant architecture and POPIA-compliant data handling. The company's proprietary AI assistant, TimAI, is trained exclusively on South African tax sources - the Income Tax Act, SARS documents, and 15 years of accumulated TaxTim filing data - and is available via dashboard, in-form, and WhatsApp with explicit hallucination guardrails. TaxTim has processed returns for 14M+ South Africans over 11 years, helping 4M+ annually (55% of the tax base per one source), and distributes through direct self-serve plus partnerships with eight major South African financial brands (Momentum, Sanlam, Old Mutual, FNB, Nedbank, Standard Bank, Capitec, Alex Forbes). The company raised seed funding from Google in 2011 and was acquired in September 2025 by a private investment consortium led by Twofold Capital with Octoco, with stated plans to expand AI-driven automation into adjacent financial and compliance services.
TaxTim firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TaxTim
- Legal name
- Human Robot (Proprietary) Limited
- Website
- https://taxtim.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- TaxTim is a Cape Town-based digital tax assistant that helps South African individuals and small businesses file ITR12, IRP6, and ITR14 tax returns via a guided chat interface with native SARS eFiling integration, serving 4M+ users annually at roughly one-third the cost of a tax practitioner.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
TaxTim industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tax Preparation Software
- NAICS
- Tax Preparation Services (541213), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (5412)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tax Return Filing, Processing & Assessment (BPAIADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Revenue Systems, E-Filing & Digital Tax Administration (BPAIADAO), Tax Planning & Personal Tax Optimization Tools (FSAGADAJ)
Keywords
Where TaxTim is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
TaxTim business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Tax Return Filing Services: Users pay per tax return submission based on tier (Lite, Smart, Ultra for ITR12; Individual or Company for IRP6; various ITR14 packages). Payment only required when ready to submit. Tier automatically assigned based on tax situation complexity. Approximately one-third the cost of a tax practitioner.
- Specialist Tax Services: Quoted services including tax compliance status reviews, past return reviews, disputes, penalty remissions, tax directive applications, expat services. Starting from R299.
- Partner Revenue Share: Revenue from loyalty program partnerships where partners (Momentum, Sanlam, Old Mutual, FNB, Nedbank, etc.) offer TaxTim free or discounted to their customers, with partners potentially earning referral commissions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Lite - R215 for simple salary earners |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Smart - R565 for homeowners and investors |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Ultra - R895 for entrepreneurs, freelancers and commission earners |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Individual IRP6 - R600 for provisional taxpayers |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Company IRP6 - R649 for companies |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Dormant Company ITR14 - R699 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Micro Business ITR14 - R1,199 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Specialist Tax Queries - From R299 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
TaxTim product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TaxTim is a cloud-based digital tax filing platform that guides South African individuals and small businesses through SARS tax return preparation via plain-English chat-style questions, then imports data from SARS eFiling, runs 1,300+ validation checks, and submits the return directly to SARS. The platform is offered in tiered packages (Lite, Smart, Ultra for ITR12; Individual and Company for IRP6; Dormant and Micro Business for ITR14) and is augmented by TimAI, an AI-powered tax assistant available in-dashboard, inside the return, and via WhatsApp, with human tax practitioner backup for complex queries.
Product overview
TaxTim is a digital tax assistant platform that helps South Africans file tax returns through a guided, plain-English question-based interface. The core platform integrates natively with SARS eFiling for data import and submission. The main paid products are ITR12 Individual Income Tax Returns (offered in Lite, Smart, and Ultra tiers), IRP6 Provisional Tax Returns (individual and company), and ITR14 Company Tax Returns. TimAI is the AI-powered assistant available across the platform (dashboard, inside returns, and WhatsApp) included free with all packages. The product ecosystem includes free supplementary tools: Auto-Assessment Checker, Mobile Vehicle Logbook App, Expense Tracker App, Tax Calculator App suite, Tax Health Score Report, Document Storage, Tax Deadline Reminders, and Bank Statement Importer. All products are backed by human tax practitioners for complex queries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ITR12 Individual Income Tax Returns Guided personal income tax return (ITR12) filing for South African taxpayers in three auto-assigned tiers — Lite (R215, simple salary earners), Smart (R565, homeowners and investors with rental, medical, investment income) and Ultra (R895, entrepreneurs, freelancers and commission earners with complex multi-source income). Includes SARS eFiling import, 1,300+ checks, one-click submission, TimAI and human helpdesk support.
- IRP6 Provisional Tax Returns Provisional tax return filing for South African provisional taxpayers in two packages — Individual IRP6 (R600) for freelancers, rental income earners, investors and business owners, and Company IRP6 (R649) for all registered companies. Both cover first and second period submissions with provisional tax calculations.
- ITR14 Company Tax Returns Annual company tax return (ITR14) filing for South African companies, with Dormant Company ITR14 (R699) and Micro Business ITR14 (R1,199) packages. Includes built-in calculations for balance sheet, income statement, depreciation, local and foreign capital gains tax, tax credits, special economic zone, cryptocurrency and adjustments.
- Specialist Tax Queries Quote-based professional tax assistance from TaxTim's human tax practitioners covering tax compliance status, past return reviews, tax filing disputes, TCC applications, penalty remissions, calculation/spreadsheet fixes, eFiling profile registration, tax directive applications, disputes, ITA34 assessment reviews, and expat tax services. Pricing starts from R299.
- TimAI AI Tax Assistant TimAI is TaxTim's AI-powered tax assistant trained exclusively on South African tax sources (Income Tax Act, SARS documents, 10+ years of filing data). It provides instant, contextual answers to tax questions in plain English via WhatsApp, dashboard, or inside the tax return workflow, with guardrails that cause it to say 'I don't know' and route to human practitioners when uncertain. Included free with every TaxTim package.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4 million+ South Africans helped with tax returns annually (55% of tax base)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use TaxTim
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
TaxTim technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
TaxTim partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.
- Momentum MultiplyflagshipMomentum Multiply members can get TaxTim free or at discounted rates through the loyalty program. TaxTim is integrated into Momentum's rewards ecosystem as a financial wellness tool.
- Sanlam RealityflagshipSanlam Reality members can earn up to 3,000 tier points for TaxTim free access. Partnership provides discounted/free tax filing as part of Sanlam's financial rewards program.
- Old Mutual RewardsflagshipOld Mutual Rewards members access TaxTim at discounted rates through the rewards program, integrating tax filing into Old Mutual's financial services ecosystem.
- FNB eBucksflagshipFNB eBucks members earn 50% back in eBucks when using TaxTim for tax filing services. Deep integration with FNB's digital banking rewards.
- Nedbank Private ClientsflagshipNedbank Private Clients offers TaxTim FREE to the first 1,700 qualifying members. Premium banking segment partnership providing free tax filing as a client benefit.
- Standard Bank UCountminorStandard Bank UCount rewards members access TaxTim at discounted rates through the loyalty program.
- CapitecminorCapitec clients access TaxTim at discounted rates through Capitec's rewards/benefits program.
- Alex ForbesminorAlex Forbes clients access TaxTim services through the financial advisory firm's client benefit programs.
- SARS (South African Revenue Service)coreTaxTim is fully integrated with SARS eFiling - the platform imports tax data (IRP5, medical aid, retirement, interest) directly from SARS and submits tax returns directly to SARS on behalf of users.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
TaxTim competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tax24: South African online tax filing platform for individuals and small businesses. Directly competes with TaxTim on SARS eFiling integration, tiered ITR12/IRP6/ITR14 packages, and self-serve consumer tax filing in the same domestic market.
- TaxAct: US consumer and small-business tax filing software with tiered packages, accuracy checks, and self-serve guided filing. Closely comparable business model to TaxTim, including seasonal demand pattern and tier-based pricing.
- TaxSlayer: US consumer-focused DIY tax filing software with tiered pricing by return complexity. Closely comparable per-filing monetization model and self-serve product flow to TaxTim.
- eFile.com: US online tax preparation and e-filing service with tiered packages for simple to complex returns. Directly comparable to TaxTim's tiered, self-serve consumer tax filing approach.
Broad incumbents
- TurboTax (Intuit): The dominant US consumer and small-business tax filing platform with guided interviews, error checks, and AI assistance. Closest analog to TaxTim's product model, but operating in the US IRS regime rather than SARS — a useful scale and product benchmark.
- Sage Tax: Global accounting and tax software incumbent with a strong small-business and accountant footprint, including in South Africa. Comparable to TaxTim's SME/ITR14 product line, though Sage serves a much broader portfolio beyond consumer filing.
- H&R Block: Global incumbent combining DIY tax software with in-person and virtual tax professional services. Comparable to TaxTim's combined platform-plus-human-expert offering, but at much greater scale and broader geographic footprint.
- Xero: Global cloud accounting platform used by SMEs and their accountants, with growing tax filing capabilities in multiple jurisdictions including South Africa. Comparable to TaxTim's SME/company tax ambitions, though Xero is fundamentally an accounting platform rather than a consumer filing service.
Regional players
- ClearTax (Defmacro Software): India's leading consumer and SME tax filing platform, integrated with the Indian income tax e-filing portal. Strongly comparable product model (guided e-filing, tiered packages, AI assistance) but operates in India rather than South Africa.
- TaxScouts: UK online tax filing service combining guided self-service with on-demand access to human accountants. Comparable hybrid self-serve-plus-expert model to TaxTim, but UK-HMRC focused rather than SARS focused.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
TaxTim social profiles
Digital presenceTaxTim compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
TaxTim financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TaxTim leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
TaxTim funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TaxTim M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about TaxTim
What does TaxTim do?
TaxTim is a cloud-based digital tax filing platform that guides South African individuals and small businesses through SARS tax return preparation via plain-English chat-style questions, then imports data from SARS eFiling, runs 1,300+ validation checks, and submits the return directly to SARS. The platform is offered in tiered packages (Lite, Smart, Ultra for ITR12; Individual and Company for IRP6; Dormant and Micro Business for ITR14) and is augmented by TimAI, an AI-powered tax assistant available in-dashboard, inside the return, and via WhatsApp, with human tax practitioner backup for complex queries.
Is TaxTim a public or private company?
TaxTim is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was TaxTim founded?
TaxTim was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is TaxTim based?
TaxTim is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does TaxTim make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Tax Return Filing Services are the primary driver. The others are specialist Tax Services and partner Revenue Share.
Who are TaxTim's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tax24, TaxAct, TaxSlayer and eFile.com. Broad incumbents are TurboTax (Intuit), Sage Tax, H&R Block and Xero. Regional players are ClearTax (Defmacro Software) and TaxScouts.
Does TaxTim have an API?
No public API is recorded for TaxTim.
What industry is TaxTim in?
TaxTim's product category is Tax Preparation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIADAC, Tax Return Filing, Processing & Assessment, with a secondary code of BPAIADAO, Revenue Systems, E-Filing & Digital Tax Administration. Its NAICS code is 541213 and its SIC code is 6199.