Understand whether your business should register, what evidence supports the application and what changes afterwards. Vatco helps you prepare a SARS VAT registration request around your actual trading position, with a clear scope and practical next steps.
Your requirements · A clear scope · Your next step
A customer asking for a VAT number can create pressure to apply immediately. Before committing, establish what your business supplies, which legal entity makes those supplies and how its trading activity is documented. A business that sells taxable goods needs a different review from one whose receipts include exempt supplies. A bank deposit total alone does not explain that distinction.
Describe your activities, trading start date and reason for applying in your enquiry. If you have already submitted an application, include its status rather than starting another one. The useful outcome of the first review is a decision about the appropriate next action: prepare a new application, respond to an existing request or resolve a registration detail first.
Use actual taxable supplies and signed commitments to establish the liability position.
Start with the qualifying evidence and the business reason for applying.
Identify the existing case or the specialist business model before applying again.
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| Cost item | Price or basis | What to allow for |
|---|---|---|
| Vatco application preparation | Quoted by registration route and readiness | Includes only the entity review, evidence preparation, submission and follow-up stated in the quote. |
| SARS eFiling platform | R0 platform access | Professional preparation, tax payable and corrective work remain separate. |
| Historical records or profile corrections | Quoted after the gaps are identified | Bookkeeping reconstruction, earlier-period review and banking or representative amendments can change the preparation work. |
| VAT returns and tax payable | Separate recurring work and liability | Registration does not include every future return or pay the VAT due from the enterprise. |
The service fee, any amount payable to the authority and additional work are separate. The table identifies the scope to confirm before you proceed.
These items help identify mismatches before the application is assembled. The exact supporting-document list depends on the applicant and the route being used.
We use that information to prepare the request and identify any separate updates that should be addressed before or alongside it.
Start with the legal name, existing tax references and current registration documents for the applicant.
Add the representative’s details and a summary of the business address, banking information and trading activity.
For trading evidence, organise contracts, sales invoices and financial records in a consistent order.
Explain unusual transactions, periods without sales or changes in business activity. A short factual note beside a document can be more helpful than a large folder of unexplained statements.
Do not create invoices or alter transaction descriptions merely to make an application look stronger.
Where a new company took over an existing activity, explain which entity issued the invoices and received the money.
Where an address or bank account recently changed, provide the history so the current position is clear.
First, tell us what the business does and whether the request is compulsory, voluntary or uncertain.
Next, the application is prepared through the appropriate SARS channel using authorised access.
If SARS asks for further material, the response should address the actual question and refer back to the original application.
Once an outcome is available, check the legal entity, reference and effective details against the request.
Use the application period to decide who will maintain VAT records, approve invoices and monitor correspondence. Review your invoicing setup and make a list of questions about existing contracts, deposits and purchases made before registration. The effective registration details matter; do not change historic invoices or start charging VAT merely because an application has been submitted.
We provide an estimate for the work after reviewing your circumstances. SARS may require further verification, so neither an enquiry nor a complete document pack guarantees a particular approval date. Tell us about a commercial deadline early. We can identify what is within the preparation scope and what remains dependent on the authority’s decision.
Potentially. The general voluntary route and the specific routes for applicants below its minimum have different evidence requirements. Share your sales history, contracts and nature of activity so the relevant route can be identified. Registration is not automatic merely because a customer requests a VAT number.
No. These are different processes. Company documents help identify the applicant, while the VAT review concerns the enterprise and its supplies. An existing income tax number or company certificate should not be presented to customers as proof of approved VAT registration.
Start with the application reference, the request received and what was previously submitted. We can assess the response work needed. Resubmitting an unrelated new application may make the history harder to follow, so the existing case should be understood first.
No. We can organise the preparation and explain missing inputs, but SARS controls its verification and decision. Tell us the contract date and provide the relevant terms so we can discuss an appropriate application plan without promising an outcome outside our control.
The fee depends on application readiness, profile issues and whether earlier trading or outstanding correspondence needs investigation. Ask for a written scope identifying preparation, submission support and any follow-up included. Ongoing VAT returns and bookkeeping should be priced and agreed separately.
Describe your business, whether it is already trading, the reason you need VAT registration and any current SARS application. You can begin without uploading identity or banking documents publicly. The team can then confirm a suitable document list and secure way to provide it.
Go deeper with guidance from the relevant authorities.
Current application routes and eligibility requirements.
Open the resource OFFICIAL RESOURCERegistration threshold changes and their implementation.
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.
