Press release: TaxClaw.AI hits 70,000 users in three weeks

Johannesburg - Jul 19, 2026 - TaxClaw.AI, a South African AI platform, has announced a significant milestone, registering 70,000 users in just three weeks since its launch. This rapid adoption highlights a growing demand for technology that helps South Africans navigate and validate the 2026 SARS auto-assessment process.

The surge in user numbers follows the commencement of the 2026 tax season and the launch of TaxClaw in the first week of July 2026, which has left many taxpayers uncertain about the accuracy of their auto-assessments, whilst desiring to be compliant. Whether receiving notifications of small refunds, unexpected amounts owed to SARS, or instructions to navigate complex manual eFiling, taxpayers are increasingly turning to TaxClaw.AI for clarity.

Founded by tech experts Ben Chaud and Meraj Chhaya, with an exclusive partnership with tax veteran Marius Higgs, (SARS Registered Tax Practitioner PR-0027641, SAIT General Tax Practitioner (SA) 20763259) with 15 years of experience leading TaxAssist, TaxClaw.AI was created to bridge the gap between automated tax systems and individual taxpayer needs.

Statement from Ben Chaud: “This started as a highly specialized tool used internally by our tax specialists to stress-test internal filing data, but when we saw the sheer volume of ordinary South Africans wondering about auto-assessments, we decided to democratize the technology and make AI analysis completely free for everyone.”

Unlike generic AI tools, TaxClaw operates on a proprietary Machine Learning model trained on extensive datasets of anonymized tax returns and financial simulations. Every output is verified by a custom arithmetic engine, positioning it as a unique, purpose-built AI tax solution for the South African market.

The platform has already demonstrated tangible financial benefits for users. In one instance, a taxpayer’s SARS auto-assessment indicated a refund of R4,325. TaxClaw’s analysis identified missing home office deductions and charitable donations, recalculating the legitimate refund at R13,525 - an increase of R9,200.

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Commitment to privacy remains a cornerstone of the platform. TaxClaw.AI requires no personally identifiable information- such as names, ID numbers, or phone numbers - to generate an analysis, requiring only an email address for report delivery. No data is fed back into the AI model, which has already been trained. Users are also informed that there are no tricks to the analysis, as TaxClaw's objective is to firmly comply with SARS regulations.

The platform’s AI analysis remains free for all users. TaxClaw generates revenue exclusively through voluntary conversion, offering services from registered tax practitioners for those who choose to proceed with a formal filing.

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About TaxClaw.AI

TaxClaw.AI is a South African technology startup dedicated to providing accessible, accurate, and privacy-focused tax analysis. By leveraging purpose-built machine learning, TaxClaw empowers taxpayers to validate their SARS auto-assessments and maximize their financial outcomes.

Media Contact:

hello@taxclaw.ai