VAT Services Durban covers registration, VAT201 preparation and submission, input tax reviews, VAT audits and deregistration. Compare quotes from practitioners who handle VAT regularly rather than occasionally.
VAT is the tax SARS audits most often, because the money is collected on their behalf and the documentation rules are unforgiving.
Your turnover, whether you are already registered, your VAT category and whether SARS has queried anything.
Get Quotes From Accountants in DurbanRegistration Thresholds
- Compulsory. Taxable supplies exceeding R2.3 million in any consecutive 12-month period. Application within 21 business days.
- Contract trigger. Where a written contract commits you to supplies above the threshold in the next 12 months.
- Voluntary. Available from R120,000 of taxable supplies in the past 12 months, or a reasonable expectation of exceeding it.
- Already registered and now below the threshold. Deregistration is optional, not automatic. Weigh the input VAT you would lose against the admin you would save.
The compulsory threshold rose from R1 million to R2.3 million on 1 April 2026, the first increase in 17 years, and the voluntary threshold moved from R50,000 to R120,000. Businesses already registered below the new threshold are not deregistered automatically and may choose to stay registered.
VAT201 Deadlines And Categories
| Category | Period | Typical vendor |
|---|---|---|
| Category A | Two months, ending in odd months | Most vendors under R30m |
| Category B | Two months, ending in even months | Most vendors under R30m |
| Category C | Monthly | Vendors above R30m taxable supplies |
| Category D | Six months | Certain farming enterprises |
| Category E | Twelve months | Certain letting and connected-party vendors |
| Category F | Four months | Small vendors, by application |
Returns and payments are due by the 25th of the month following the end of the tax period, or the last business day before it where the 25th falls on a weekend or public holiday. eFiling submissions with electronic payment get to the last business day of the month.
Where VAT Claims Go Wrong
- Invalid tax invoices. Missing VAT number, missing the words tax invoice, or the wrong customer name.
- Entertainment and motor cars. Input tax on entertainment and most passenger vehicles is denied outright.
- Mixed supplies. Businesses making both taxable and exempt supplies must apportion input tax properly.
- Timing. Claiming input tax in the wrong period, or later than the five-year limit.
- Zero-rated exports. Documentary proof of export is required within the prescribed period or the supply becomes standard-rated.
- Imports. Claiming on a supplier invoice instead of the customs release documentation.
Clean VAT returns depend on clean bookkeeping. See Accountants Durban for firms handling both.
VAT Services Durban Prices
Indicative Durban ranges, excluding VAT.
| Service | Indicative range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| VAT registration | R1,500 - R4,000 | Including document preparation |
| VAT201 preparation and submission | R750 - R2,200 per return | Volume dependent |
| VAT201 with full reconciliation | R1,800 - R5,500 per return | Higher volume vendors |
| Input tax review | R6,000 - R30,000 | Once-off, often recovers more than it costs |
| VAT audit or verification response | R4,500 - R25,000 | Document volume dependent |
| Voluntary disclosure on VAT | R12,000 - R60,000 | Excludes tax and interest owed |
| VAT deregistration | R2,500 - R7,500 | Includes the exit calculation |
| VAT apportionment ruling application | R15,000 - R60,000 | Mixed supply businesses |
Indicative Durban ranges, not a quotation. Transaction volume, whether the underlying bookkeeping is current and whether SARS has already raised an assessment drive the fee.
Send your turnover and VAT category, and compare quotes from VAT practitioners.
Compare VAT PractitionersFrequently Asked Questions
When must I register for VAT in South Africa?
Registration is compulsory once taxable supplies exceed R2.3 million in any consecutive 12-month period, effective from 1 April 2026. You must apply within 21 business days of crossing the threshold.
What is the VAT rate in South Africa?
15%. The proposed increases to 15.5% and 16% announced in the 2025 Budget were reversed, and the 2026 Budget kept the rate at 15%.
Should I register voluntarily?
Voluntary registration is available from R120,000 of taxable supplies. It helps if your customers are VAT-registered businesses and you have significant input VAT. It adds admin and effectively raises your price to consumers who cannot claim it back.
When are VAT201 returns due?
By the 25th of the month after the tax period ends, or the last business day before if the 25th is a weekend or public holiday. eFilers paying electronically have until the last business day of that month.
Can I claim VAT without a tax invoice?
No. A valid tax invoice with all the details required by section 20 of the VAT Act is a precondition for an input claim above R5,000. SARS routinely disallows claims supported only by a card slip or a statement.
Related Accounting Services in Durban
Accountants Durban is a free quote-comparison service. The accounting, tax and audit work is carried out by the independent firms and practitioners that quote you, and your engagement is with the firm you appoint. Ask each firm for its registration details, professional body membership and a written engagement letter before appointing anyone.
VAT Services Durban. Compare VAT registration and VAT201 fees from practitioners covering Durban.
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