Preparing for SARS: The VAT Reconciliation Self-Study Course

This course is a practical, step-by-step guide to building a VAT reconciliation that can withstand SARS scrutiny. It focuses on how to reconcile VAT reports to the general ledger, VAT control accounts, and source documents, so your VAT201 submissions are accurate, consistent, and easy to defend during verification or audit. The course is designed to help learners spot errors early (coding, timing, missing invoices, incorrect zero-rating) and compile a clean “VAT evidence pack” for each period.

Who will benefit

• Bookkeepers and junior accountants who prepare or review VAT201 submissions
• Finance managers overseeing VAT compliance and controls
• SME owners wanting to reduce VAT risk and improve documentation
• Anyone who has experienced (or wants to avoid) SARS VAT verification issues

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• What SARS Wants to See — The Purpose of a VAT Reconciliation
• The VAT Reconciliation Framework (Your Repeatable Template)
• Output VAT Reconciliation — Sales to VAT201
• Input VAT Reconciliation — Purchases to VAT201
• VAT Control Accounts — The Heart of the Reconciliation
• Timing and Cut-Off — Preventing Period Drift
• Zero-Rated, Exempt, and Out-of-Scope — The Coding Risk Zone
• Adjustments and Corrections — Journals That Must Be Tracked
• Investigating Differences — A Practical Troubleshooting Method
• Building the SARS VAT Pack — What to Keep and How to Present It