This course is a practical, bookkeeper-focused VAT masterclass designed to strengthen day-to-day VAT processing, checking, and submission skills. It goes beyond basic VAT concepts and focuses on what bookkeepers actually deal with: correct VAT coding, valid tax invoices, common transaction types, VAT adjustments, and preparing clean, supportable VAT201 submissions. The course also highlights the most common SARS query triggers and how to build a VAT file that stands up to verification.
Who will benefit
Bookkeepers and junior accountants responsible for VAT processing and VAT201 submissions
Finance/admin staff capturing transactions and reconciling VAT accounts
SME owners who oversee bookkeeping and want stronger VAT control
Anyone moving from “capturing VAT” to “reviewing and submitting VAT confidently”
Module 1: The Bookkeeper’s VAT Role — From Capture to Submission
Content: What bookkeepers are responsible for, the VAT control cycle, and how errors typically enter the system (source docs, coding, timing, mixed-use).
Module 2: VAT Coding Essentials — Getting the Basics Right Every Time
Content: Standard-rated vs zero-rated vs exempt vs out-of-scope, correct VAT treatment at transaction level, and avoiding common miscodes that distort VAT201 results.
Module 3: Output VAT in Practice — Sales, Credit Notes and Discounts
Content: VAT on sales invoices, deposits, progress billing (intro), credit notes and returns, discounts/rebates, and how these flow into output VAT reporting.
Module 4: Input VAT in Practice — Purchases, Expenses and Capital Items
Content: Input VAT rules in a bookkeeper’s workflow, expenses vs assets, capital goods basics, and common “can’t-claim” areas that must be flagged early.
Module 5: Tax Invoices and Supporting Documents — What Must Be on File
Content: What makes an invoice valid for input VAT, alternative documents in practice, dealing with missing/incorrect invoices, and building an audit-ready VAT pack.
Module 6: Time of Supply Basics — Timing Errors That Cause Big Problems
Content: Why VAT timing matters, common timing traps (invoice date vs payment date, late invoices, deposits), and how timing affects VAT periods and corrections.
Module 7: Imports and Cross-Border Basics for Bookkeepers
Content: High-level treatment of imported goods and services, what documentation typically supports VAT on imports, and common capture mistakes (especially where customs/VAT documents are involved).
Module 8: VAT Adjustments and Corrections — The Essentials
Content: A practical overview of typical adjustments bookkeepers encounter: bad debts (intro), change in use (intro), debit/credit note corrections, and fixing prior-period errors cleanly.
Module 9: VAT Reconciliations — The VAT201 Confidence Check
Content: Reconciling VAT control accounts, matching VAT reports to general ledger, spotting anomalies, and pre-submission review checks that prevent painful SARS queries.
Module 10: SARS Verification Triggers and Best Practice Filing
Content: What usually triggers a VAT verification/audit (high level), handling refunds responsibly, keeping consistent support, and practical routines that reduce VAT risk.
