VAT Invoice Requirements for SARS (South Africa)
Published 20 January 2025
What SARS requires on a valid tax invoice in South Africa. Essential reading for tradespeople and small businesses.
When you need a tax invoice
If you are VAT-registered, you must issue a tax invoice for every taxable supply where the consideration exceeds R50, or at the request of the recipient.
Tax invoices are not optional — they are a legal requirement and your customer needs them to claim input VAT.
Required fields on a tax invoice
SARS requires: the words 'Tax Invoice', supplier name and address, supplier VAT number, customer name and address, unique invoice number, date of issue, full description of goods/services, quantity/volume, price and VAT rate, total excluding VAT, VAT amount, and total including VAT.
The Trade Kit includes all required fields by default. Enter your VAT number once in your profile and it appears on every document.
Common mistakes to avoid
Missing VAT numbers, incorrect VAT calculations, and duplicate invoice numbers are the most common errors that cause problems during SARS audits.
Use sequential invoice numbering and let software handle VAT maths. The Trade Kit validates your documents before generating the PDF.