Your provisional tax return needs a reasoned estimate, not a guess based on your bank balance. Vatco helps you organise current figures, review the assumptions and prepare the relevant IRP6 submission, with payment and annual-return responsibilities kept clear.
Your requirements · A clear scope · Your next step
Provisional tax is a way of paying income tax during the year using estimates of taxable income. The IRP6 records that estimate for the relevant period. It is different from the annual return that reports the completed year, so dealing with one does not remove the need to consider the other.
The work begins by confirming the taxpayer and the relevant year of assessment. A company’s financial year can differ from the familiar personal tax cycle; publishing August and February as universal dates would therefore be misleading. We identify the actual period before preparing a calendar or calculation.
Review all relevant income before preparing the estimate.
Use the company’s actual year-end and records to forecast the full year.
Identify the period, earlier IRP6 and payment history before deciding what to do next.
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| Cost item | Price or basis | What to allow for |
|---|---|---|
| Vatco IRP6 preparation | Quoted per taxpayer, period and complexity | The estimate review and submission scope depends on the records, adjustments and unresolved assumptions. |
| SARS eFiling platform | R0 platform access | Professional preparation, tax payable and corrective work remain separate. |
| Provisional tax payment | Based on the supported estimate and applicable rules | The SARS payment is separate from the preparation fee and needs its own approval and evidence. |
| Bookkeeping or annual return | Separately quoted if needed | Forecast reconstruction, missing records and final annual tax-return preparation are not automatically included. |
The service fee, any amount payable to the authority and additional work are separate. The table identifies the scope to confirm before you proceed.
We organise these inputs into a working calculation and identify questions that require clarification. The result should show which figures come from records and which depend on assumptions that may need to be updated.
Begin with year-to-date income and expense information, then separate actual transactions from forecasts for the rest of the year. Mark estimates clearly.
If bookkeeping is incomplete, state which months or accounts are missing so the preparation plan can address the gap rather than quietly treating absent records as zero.
Provide the latest assessment and previous provisional submissions, together with records of tax already paid or withheld.
Keep exceptional transactions visible, including major asset changes or unusual receipts. A brief explanation of a large movement helps the review focus on what may materially change the estimate.
For a business, compare the forecast with contracts, sales activity and recurring costs.
For an individual with several income sources, avoid considering freelance income in isolation from the rest of the tax picture.
First, confirm whether provisional tax applies to your circumstances and which period needs attention.
Next, prepare the estimate using the available records and current applicable rules.
Before submission, agree the estimate and confirm who is responsible for payment.
Keep the calculation, approval, submission outcome and payment evidence together.
The annual-return preparer should be able to trace provisional estimates and payments without recreating them from bank statements. Retain the period references, calculations and assumptions. If later information differs from the forecast, explain the difference rather than overwriting the original working file.
Your quote depends on the taxpayer, record quality and periods involved. Tell us whether a return is upcoming, outstanding or believed to be incorrect. Provide the latest figures you have, even if they are incomplete, and identify the missing information. We can then propose a practical preparation plan and explain the work required without offering an unsupported tax saving or guaranteed penalty-free outcome.
It is a mechanism for paying income tax during the year, using estimates, rather than a separate tax on the same income. The IRP6 work should connect to the annual-return calculation and payment record so the taxpayer can understand how the amounts relate.
No. The relevant periods must be checked against the taxpayer’s year of assessment and applicable requirements. Companies may have different financial year-ends. Provide the actual tax and financial-year information so the team can confirm the period rather than rely on a generic calendar.
It may be relevant to the calculation, but it should not replace a review of the current facts and rules. Explain changes in trading, investments or exceptional transactions. The estimate needs a defensible basis for the relevant period, including any required treatment of the basic amount.
Tell the team early so cash-flow constraints can be considered separately from the income estimate. An affordability problem does not justify unsupported figures. Where an established liability needs an arrangement, the appropriate SARS debt-support process can be discussed on its own merits.
No. The annual return reports the completed year and remains a separate obligation where required. Keep the provisional submissions and payment records for that handover. Agree explicitly whether annual-return preparation is included in your engagement or will be handled by another person.
We can assess the period, earlier submission and available calculation records. Provide the actual notices and payment evidence rather than only a total balance. The suitable action depends on the issue, and any corrections, interest or penalty matters must be evaluated within the relevant rules.
Go deeper with guidance from the relevant authorities.
IRP6 estimates, payments and the applicable taxpayer rules.
Open the resource OFFICIAL RESOURCEWorking guidance on estimates and late or incorrect payments.
Open the resource OFFICIAL RESOURCEOfficial confirmation that eFiling platform use is free.
Open the resourceShare your requirements with Vatco.
Confirm the scope, documents and fees before proceeding.
