You have a code but no supporting record
Request evidence identifying the legal entity and the approved customs activity. A seller’s code description is a starting point for checking, not a complete registration pack.
SHELF COMPANIES · SOUTH AFRICA
A VAT and customs code is only useful when it matches your trade.
Before relying on an advertised shelf company with VAT and a customs code, understand which entity and activities the records cover. Vatco helps you organise the relevant questions, identify gaps and plan the administrative work around the company’s intended trading role.
Your requirements · A clear scope · Your next step
YOUR SERVICE GUIDE
VAT and customs-code checks
VAT and customs-code checks
01
IdentifyMatch the entity and references.
02
CheckConfirm the registered activity.
03
PrepareResolve updates before trading.
Start with the details that matter.
A clear place to start.Tell us what your business needs.
LOOK BEYOND THE LABEL
What does “customs code” mean in this offer?
The phrase “customs code” is often used as shorthand in a company offer. It should lead to a more specific question: which customs activity is the entity registered or licensed to perform, and what evidence supports that position? Importing your own goods, exporting goods and performing other customs-related activities are not interchangeable roles.
Review the evidence against your planned operation before selecting a company. Our shelf-companies-with-VAT-and-customs service covers the combined option; the registration records establish which customs activities the company is registered or licensed to perform and which updates may still be needed.
- Discuss the defined review and administrative support required, based on the records supplied, access authority and trade you intend to carry out.
- Check the actual permission against the product, destination and activity. A customs code or registration letter is not a universal permit.
YOUR SITUATION
Review the code against a real trading arrangement.
A clearing agent will handle shipments
Identify the agent and its document and authority requirements. The company’s registration and the agent’s mandate perform different functions.
Your intended role has changed
Describe the new goods or movement before relying on the old code. Importing, exporting, transporting or acting for another party may raise different registration questions.
COSTS BEFORE YOU COMMIT
What the quote needs to cover.
Swipe across to compare all columns.
| Cost item | Amount or pricing basis | Inclusions and separate work |
|---|---|---|
| Customs-role evidence review | Quoted by records, role and access needed | Define the questions and written outcome expected from the review. |
| Company purchase and transfer | Separate entity-specific offer | Buying the company and checking a customs reference are distinct parts of the instruction. |
| Registration or access changes | Quoted for the identified updates | Confirm the authorised representative and any application work needed. |
| Shipment permissions and logistics | Separate from the review fee | ITAC permits are issued free by ITAC; clearing, freight and other technical costs are assessed separately. |
Vatco confirms the professional fee and included work in writing after reviewing the records and scope. Any published authority amount is dated 30 September 2026 and should be checked against the applicable payment instruction.
Sources:ITAC permit fee guidance
DEFINE THE INTENDED ACTIVITY
Documents and records to prepare.
Start with the records relevant to your situation. We confirm the exact scope and any authority-specific attachments before submission; briefing information is not automatically a mandatory filing document.
- Proposed operationTrading-role and transaction description
Explain whether the company will buy and import goods, sell and export goods, arrange transport or act for another party. These descriptions help identify the applicable registration questions.
- Avoid relying on a broad term such as “logistics” when the actual role may create different requirements.
- Shipment or planned tradeGoods specifications and trade-route records
Describe the type of goods, where they will come from or go to, and whether an order or shipment already exists.
- Relevant product controls or other permissions need to be considered separately. A company’s general registration position does not answer every question about a specific consignment.
- People managing customsClearing-agent and representative instructions
Identify the clearing agent, logistics provider or internal person expected to manage customs interactions. Ask what documents and authorisations they need.
- The review should connect the company records to the practical process that will be used, rather than end with a document that no responsible party has checked.
- Existing commitmentsOrder, shipping and customer deadlines
Provide any shipping, supplier or customer dates as context. A near-term deadline does not remove the need for verification and updates.
- Make unconfirmed dependencies visible before committing to goods or promising a customer that the company can support a transaction on a particular date.
READ THE RECORDS SEPARATELY
Each reference has a specific purpose.
A DOCUMENTED REVIEW
Make the unknowns explicit.
- 01
Collect the entity-specific documents
Gather the company information and the VAT and customs records supplied for the actual option. Separate sample documents from evidence relating to that entity.
- Record when information was obtained and identify any access or authority needed to inspect the relevant current position.
- 02
Match the details and scope
Compare names, company references and registration roles, and raise inconsistencies. Establish whether an apparent difference is a documented change or a matter still requiring correction.
- If the records do not show the activity you need, ask what further work would be required before assuming the company is suitable.
- 03
Agree the required updates
List the ownership, director, contact, representative and access changes relevant to the transaction. Identify the party responsible for each update and the evidence needed to confirm completion.
- A submitted request or a set of login details should not be labelled a complete handover without further review.
- 04
Check the practical trading plan
Discuss the remaining requirements with the person responsible for the shipment or customs work. Align the company details used in the commercial and shipping documents.
- The result should be a clear list of completed checks and outstanding actions, not a broad assurance that the code makes everything ready.
WHEN THE OFFER NEEDS MORE WORK
Common gaps in an incomplete explanation.
The activity is not specified
An offer may advertise VAT and customs without saying whether the record covers importing, exporting or another role. Ask for the relevant evidence and a clear description.
- The right company depends on the business activity, so an unspecified code is not enough to make that decision.
Access is confused with authority
Being given a password does not establish that the right person is authorised to manage the entity’s affairs.
- Representative and access arrangements need to reflect the actual company and responsible people. Clarify the process and retain evidence of the agreed changes.
A registration is presented as shipment approval
A registration supports a particular administrative role; it does not by itself guarantee that a shipment will clear or that every goods-specific requirement has been met. Ask which additional documents, permissions and service providers are involved in the actual transaction.
A MORE INFORMED ENQUIRY
Bring the activity and the evidence together.
If you are assessing an offer, describe the intended trade and the documents available. Vatco can discuss which questions and updates fall within the support requested. Where specialist customs, product-control or legal advice is required, the scope should identify that need rather than hide it behind a general company service.
- If you are still choosing a company, start with the combined VAT-and-customs option and describe the trading role it must support.
- Confirm availability, included work, price and timing for the particular entity rather than relying on a general description of shelf companies.
- Compare the offered company’s customs position with the goods, role and transaction you have described before deciding whether it is suitable.
CONNECT THE NEXT PIECE.
Related support
for your business.
YOUR QUESTIONS. A CLEARER NEXT STEP.
VAT and customs-code checks:
frequently asked questions.
01Is a customs code the same as an import permit?
No. A customs registration or reference concerns the entity’s relevant customs activity, while a permit can relate to particular goods or controls. Identify both the trading role and the goods involved. Do not assume one document answers the requirements of the other.
02Can the same company import and export?
It may be possible, but review the registrations and requirements for the intended activities. An offer should explain the actual position rather than implying both are included simply because it mentions customs. The relevant records and any updates need to be checked.
03Does the VAT number confirm the customs registration?
No. VAT and customs evidence should be reviewed separately and matched to the same entity. A valid-looking VAT document does not establish the customs role, current registration details or readiness for a specific import or export transaction.
04Can a clearing agent do the registration checks for me?
A clearing agent may identify requirements relevant to the work they handle, but the scope of their review should be agreed. Do not assume their involvement covers company ownership, all tax matters or legal review of the purchase. Clarify who checks each part of the transaction.
05What if the company’s customs details are outdated?
Identify the differences and the process needed to update them before relying on the registration. Ask what evidence will confirm the changes and whether the intended activity can proceed while anything remains outstanding. Avoid interpreting a historic registration letter as confirmation of the current position.
06Is shipment clearance guaranteed after buying the company?
No. Clearance depends on the actual goods, declarations, documents and applicable requirements, among other factors. The company purchase is only one part of preparation. Plan the shipment with the relevant provider and confirm the outstanding tasks before making commitments.
07Which page should I use to request a company with VAT and customs?
Use the combined shelf-companies-with-VAT-and-customs service to discuss availability and the offer. Ask for the evidence behind the customs-code description and clarify which updates the quoted work includes. In either enquiry, include the intended trade so suitability can be considered before the company is selected.
Have a question about your situation?
USEFUL INFORMATION, CLOSE TO HAND.
Resources for
your next step.
Go deeper with guidance from the relevant authorities.
OFFICIAL RESOURCE
SARS Registration, Licensing and Accreditation
Customs activities and applicable registration or licensing requirements.
Open the resource OFFICIAL RESOURCESARS importer registration
Importer registration, authorisation and supporting documentation.
Open the resource OFFICIAL RESOURCESARS VAT registration
VAT registration and obtaining the notice of registration.
Open the resource OFFICIAL RESOURCEITAC permit fee guidance
Official source supporting the dated cost information and its scope.
Open the resourceLET’S FIND YOUR NEXT STEP.
Ready to discuss
vat and customs-code checks?
Share your requirements with Vatco.
Confirm the scope, documents and fees before proceeding.