SARS PDF not opening? Open it here.
Some SARS forms are dynamic XFA forms, which most browsers and phone PDF viewers cannot draw, so they show “Please wait…” instead. KuduDoc’s opener draws the form on your device and saves it as an ordinary PDF you can read, print and keep. The file is not uploaded. Free with a KuduDoc Personal account.
I declare that the information given in this application is true and correct.
RC01Page 1 of 4
RC01 Certificate of residence.pdf · 4 pages · a dynamic XFA form, drawn on your device. Values are shown as saved in the file.
Keeps the original and the readable copy together in your Library.
- Kind
- Dynamic XFA form
- Pages
- 4 · A4
- Scripts
- Not run
The readable copy
Saved “RC01 Certificate of residence (readable copy).pdf” to your device. It is an ordinary PDF for reading and printing, not a form. Your original file is unchanged.
- PDFRC01 Certificate of residence.pdfOriginal · unchanged
- PDFRC01 Certificate of residence (readable copy).pdf486 KB · in Downloads
In the readable copy
- Title
- RC01 Certificate of residence (readable copy)
- Subject
- Readable copy of an XFA form, made on this device on 27 September 2026
- Pages
- 4, at the form’s page size (A4)
- Form fields
- None: for reading and printing
Keep both in your Library
The original, exactly as it was, and the readable copy, kept together as a pair.
- PDFRC01 Certificate of residence.pdfOriginal · 1.3 MB
- PDFRC01 Certificate of residence (readable copy).pdfReadable copy · 486 KB
Uploads both files to your Library.
Both files are in your Library, in Tax 2026. Open the Library
Tax 2026 6
- PDFRC01 Certificate of residence.pdfWith its readable copy · todayPair
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Why a SARS PDF shows “Please wait…”
Some SARS forms are built as XFA forms (XML Forms Architecture). The PDF holds a description of the form, and the viewer is meant to draw the form from it as the file opens.
Most browsers and phone PDF viewers don’t draw XFA. They show the page the form keeps for that case instead:
“Please wait… If this message is not eventually replaced by the proper contents of the document, your PDF viewer may not be able to display this type of document.”
SARS’s own help page calls it a known compatibility issue and shows how to download the form and open it in a desktop reader. KuduDoc’s opener is the other way: it draws the form in the browser you already have.
What you get
-
The form, on screen.
Each page of the form drawn on screen, with the values already saved in it.
-
An ordinary PDF.
Converted on your device and saved as
your-form (readable copy).pdf. It opens in any PDF viewer, on any phone or computer. -
A print-out.
Print straight from the page, or print the readable copy later.
How it works
-
Choose the PDF
Sign in, or create a free Personal account, and choose the PDF. It is read in your browser; nothing is uploaded. If it asks for a password, type it in: the password stays on your device.
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The form is drawn
If it is an XFA form, the opener draws each page from the form’s description and the values saved in the file. Scripts inside the form are not run.
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Save an ordinary PDF
“Save as ordinary PDF” builds a new file from the drawn pages, on your device. The original stays exactly as it was.
-
It says what it couldn’t draw
If part of a form can’t be drawn, the result says which part. If the whole form can’t be drawn, the opener says so.
Reading and printing only
- The opener doesn’t fill in, recalculate or submit a form. The readable copy is an ordinary PDF, not a form.
- Complete and submit with SARS. To complete or submit a SARS form, use SARS eFiling or the process SARS gives for that form.
- This is KuduDoc’s tool, not a SARS service.
- Keep both files. Keep the original PDF as well as the readable copy.
Forms we test with
Last tested 21 September 2026 in current Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari on a computer, Chrome on an Android phone and Safari on an iPhone.
| Form | Where it comes from | Result | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| RC01Application for a certificate of residence (individuals) | sars.gov.za forms page | Opens | 21 Sep 2026 |
| ASPOAAuthority on special power of attorney by a tax practitioner | sars.gov.za forms page | Opens | 21 Sep 2026 |
| ITR12Income tax return for individuals | Saved from eFiling | Opens, with differencesIts calculations are not run, so totals show as saved in the file. | 21 Sep 2026 |
| ITA34Notice of assessment | Saved from eFiling | Opens | 21 Sep 2026 |
Other PDFs built as XFA forms open the same way. If part of a form can’t be drawn, or the whole form can’t, the result says so.
After you open it
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Keep the return with its year.
Keep the original and the readable copy together in your Library, in a collection for the tax year. Under the Tax Administration Act (s29 and s32), tax records must be kept for five years from the date you submitted the return, and longer while an audit, objection or appeal is open: see how long to keep tax records. Personal is free.
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Send a copy.
Sending it to a lender, a landlord or a school? Redact what they don’t need first, and merge or compress it with the PDF tools. Then seal the copy you send so they can check it. A match means unchanged since sealing — a fact about the file’s bytes, not about what the document says, who signed it or who owns anything.
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For accountants and bookkeepers.
Open the SARS PDFs clients send you the same way, on your own device. See KuduDoc for accounting and tax practices.
Questions people ask
Why won’t my SARS PDF open?
Some SARS forms are dynamic XFA forms: the form is stored inside the PDF and drawn by the viewer as it opens. Most browsers and phone PDF viewers can’t draw XFA, so they show a placeholder page that starts “Please wait…” instead. SARS calls it a known compatibility issue. Usually nothing is wrong with the file.
What does “Please wait… If this message is not eventually replaced” mean?
It is the placeholder page stored inside an XFA form. A viewer that can draw the form shows the form instead; a viewer that can’t leaves the placeholder on screen. Drop the PDF on KuduDoc’s opener and it draws the form on your device, then saves it as an ordinary PDF.
How do I open a SARS PDF on my phone or Mac?
Save the PDF to the device first, then sign in to KuduDoc in your browser and choose the file in the opener. On an iPhone, downloads are usually in Files, under Downloads. The form is drawn in the browser, and you can save the readable copy or print it. Nothing is installed.
Is my tax return uploaded?
No. The PDF is opened and converted in your browser, and the readable copy is saved straight to your device. The file leaves your device only if you choose to keep it in your KuduDoc Library. If you tell KuduDoc that a form didn’t open, the report carries the form’s name, the error and your browser’s name and version, never the file.
Can I fill in or submit the form here?
No. The opener is for reading and printing. The readable copy is an ordinary PDF, not a form, so its boxes can’t be typed into, and it doesn’t recalculate anything. To complete or submit a SARS form, use SARS eFiling or the process SARS gives for that form.
Does every SARS PDF open?
Not every one. The opener is tested against a set of real SARS forms, listed on this page with the date of the last test. If a form can’t be drawn, the opener says so and why, and your file stays exactly as it was. SARS’s own help page describes another route for those forms.
Do I have to install another PDF reader?
No. The form is drawn in the browser you already have, on a computer or a phone. SARS’s help page describes the other route: download the form and open it outside the browser. That route needs a desktop PDF reader that can draw XFA forms.
How long should I keep my tax return?
Keep tax records for five years from the date you submitted the return, and longer while an audit, objection or appeal is open (Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011, s29 and s32). Keep the original PDF and its readable copy together, so both are there when you need them.
Open · Save · Print · Keep
Open the form. Keep the record.
Open a SARS PDF now: free on every plan, and the file stays on your device. Personal is free, with no card and no expiry date.