SARS Diesel Refund Registration Programme is open: what users and sellers must do now
On 18 September 2026, SARS released the Diesel Refund Registration Programme on eFiling. The release completes the end-to-end registration solution and introduces the Diesel User Dashboard. For mining, farming, forestry and other qualifying operators, this is the point where preparation becomes execution.
What opened
SARS is moving diesel refund registration off the VAT-linked model onto a dedicated Diesel Refund Registration System on eFiling. According to SARS, the September release:
- Completes the end-to-end registration solution for the modernised diesel refund environment
- Introduces the Diesel User Dashboard for visibility of applications, registrations and seller relationships
- Requires both diesel-refund users and diesel sellers to register on the new solution
Official context is available from SARS: the release webinar notice and the webinar recording notice.
Critical point: registration is not automatic
Existing diesel refund users must register on the new solution. Prior VAT-era diesel refund status does not carry across automatically. Until registration is complete, an operator that previously claimed through the VAT channel is not fully positioned on the new registration system.
That distinction matters. Clean historic claims, current VAT registration and existing logbooks do not substitute for a live registration on the dedicated diesel refund product on eFiling.
Who must act
Diesel refund users
- Register through eFiling on the dedicated Diesel Refund Registration System
- Confirm the SARS legal-entity profile is valid and up to date
- Prepare business-activity information for the registration profile
- Be ready to create and manage electronic relationships with registered diesel sellers
Diesel sellers
- Register as a diesel seller on the new solution
- Ensure seller particulars are accurate so users can establish and validate relationships
- Expect users to check whether their suppliers appear correctly before claim readiness advances
What to prepare before you submit
- Legal entity readiness — confirm eFiling organisation details, contacts, banking and addresses
- Activity and sector facts — document qualifying activities under the diesel refund scheme rules that apply to your operations
- Asset and storage inventory — list equipment, tanks and dispensing points that will sit on the electronic profile
- Seller map — identify every diesel supplier used for refund claims and confirm they are registering as sellers
- Evidence discipline — keep purchase, storage and usage records ready to support the profile you load
Registration opens the gate. Defensible claims still depend on logbooks, reconciliations and seller evidence. See diesel refund logbook requirements in 2026 and the VAT-to-platform migration checklist.
How this fits the wider 2026 changes
The registration programme sits alongside other diesel refund reforms already in force or underway:
- 100% on-land diesel refund rate from April 2026 for qualifying primary-sector users
- Standalone platform preparation — profile completeness, seller traceability and audit readiness
- Calculation policy updates under SE-DSL-02 for eligible litres and transitional periods
In practical terms: rate changes affect claim value; registration opening affects whether you can participate on the modernised system at all.
Meridian’s recommended next steps this week
- Confirm whether your organisation has already submitted diesel refund registration on eFiling
- Escalate seller engagement where key suppliers have not registered
- Reconcile the draft electronic profile to site reality before SARS verification begins
- Test one recent month of purchase-to-usage evidence against the profile you intend to maintain
When to get support
Meridian helps South African mining, farming, forestry and fuel-intensive businesses with diesel refund compliance, registration readiness, seller-relationship planning and evidence testing. If registration has opened and your profile, sellers or records are incomplete, early work is usually cheaper than delayed claims or later verification disputes.
For dispute-stage matters, see SARS dispute support.