Custom Courses Accounting and Finance

Accounting for VAT Training

SAQA US AATICD-0003 | NQF 5 | Credits 10 | Duration 5 Days
From $913 per delegate

Description

This course equips learners with the knowledge and practical skills to account for Value-Added Tax (VAT) in compliance with the South African VAT Act. It covers the fundamental principles of VAT, including output tax, input tax, calculations, and record-keeping, enabling participants to apply VAT correctly in a business context.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply the principles of VAT to determine the tax status of supplies.
  • Calculate output tax, input tax, and VAT payable or refundable.
  • Complete VAT returns accurately and within the prescribed deadlines.
  • Analyze the impact of VAT on business transactions and financial statements.
  • Evaluate the implications of VAT exemptions, zero-rating, and standard-rating.
  • Demonstrate compliance with the South African VAT Act and related regulations.

Target Audience

This course is designed for bookkeepers, accountants, financial managers, and business owners who need to understand and manage VAT obligations effectively.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to VAT and Legislative Framework

Objectives:
• Understand the concept and purpose of VAT in South Africa
• Identify the legislative framework governing VAT, including the VAT Act and SARS regulations
• Distinguish between taxable supplies, exempt supplies, and non-supplies
• Recognise the role of vendors and the compulsory and voluntary registration thresholds
• Explain the output and input tax mechanism

Topics:
• What is VAT? Overview and economic impact
• The Value-Added Tax Act 89 of 1991 and SARS administration
• Taxable supplies: goods and services
• Exempt supplies and non-supplies: definitions and examples
• Vendor registration: compulsory and voluntary thresholds, group registration
• Output tax and input tax: basic principles
• VAT rates: standard, zero-rated, and exempt

Day 2: Output Tax and Invoicing Requirements

Objectives:
• Determine when output tax is payable (tax point rules)
• Calculate output tax on various transactions, including standard-rated and zero-rated supplies
• Identify the requirements for valid tax invoices and credit notes
• Handle special transactions such as deemed supplies, fringe benefits, and second-hand goods
• Apply the rules for exports and imports

Topics:
• Tax points: basic and special rules
• Output tax calculation on standard-rated and zero-rated supplies
• Tax invoice requirements: content, format, and timelines
• Credit notes and debit notes: when and how to issue
• Deemed supplies: fringe benefits, private use of assets, and change in use
• Second-hand goods: input tax deduction rules
• Exports and imports: zero-rating and reverse charge

Day 3: Input Tax and Record-Keeping

Objectives:
• Determine the eligibility of input tax deductions
• Apply the requirements for claiming input tax, including documentation
• Handle blocked input tax and apportionment for mixed-use supplies
• Understand the implications of the VAT treatment of entertainment, motor vehicles, and accommodation
• Implement effective record-keeping practices for VAT purposes

Topics:
• Input tax: definition and eligibility criteria
• Document requirements for input tax claims
• Blocked input tax: entertainment, motor vehicles, and other exclusions
• Apportionment: methods for mixed-use supplies
• Change in use adjustments
• VAT on bad debts and debtors
• Record-keeping: retention periods, electronic records, and SARS requirements

Day 4: VAT Returns, Payments, and Compliance

Objectives:
• Complete and submit VAT returns (VAT201) accurately
• Calculate VAT payable or refundable, including adjustments
• Understand the requirements for electronic filing and payment deadlines
• Manage penalties and interest for non-compliance
• Respond to SARS audits and requests for information

Topics:
• VAT return (VAT201): structure and completion
• Calculating VAT payable/refundable
• Filing deadlines and payment procedures
• Electronic filing (eFiling) and payment options
• Penalties, interest, and administrative non-compliance penalties
• SARS audits: rights and obligations of vendors
• Requests for information and dispute resolution

Day 5: Advanced VAT Topics and Integration

Objectives:
• Apply VAT principles to property transactions and insurance
• Handle VAT in the farming, mining, and financial services sectors
• Understand the VAT implications of cross-border transactions
• Manage VAT in insolvency and business rescues
• Integrate VAT knowledge into real-world scenarios and case studies

Topics:
• Property transactions: sale of land, leases, and mixed-use developments
• Insurance and financial services: exemptions and special rules
• Farming and mining: special schemes and deductions
• Cross-border transactions: place of supply rules and foreign vendor registration
• Insolvency and business rescue: VAT treatment
• Case studies and practical application of all concepts

Practicals

16 hours of practicals To be conducted online or on-campus or in-house
Overview

Practical sessions allow learners to apply VAT principles to realistic scenarios, including calculating output and input tax, completing VAT returns, and handling special transactions. These hands-on exercises reinforce the theoretical content and develop the skills necessary for accurate VAT accounting and compliance.

Practical Activities
  • Practical 1: VAT Calculation and Invoicing — Learners work through case studies involving various supply types, calculate output and input tax, and prepare valid tax invoices and credit notes. (4h)
  • Practical 2: Completing a VAT Return (VAT201) — Using provided transaction data, learners complete a VAT201 return, including adjustments, and determine the amount payable or refundable. (4h)
  • Practical 3: Special Transactions and Apportionment — Learners analyse scenarios involving second-hand goods, fringe benefits, and mixed-use supplies, and apply apportionment methods to claim input tax correctly. (4h)
  • Practical 4: VAT Compliance and Audit Simulation — Learners review a simulated VAT audit, respond to SARS queries, and rectify non-compliance issues, including penalties and interest calculations. (4h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored) 100% 30%
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 50%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Practicals 30% + Daily Average 20% + Final Test 50%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
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Mon 07 Sep 2026 Fri 11 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $913 Register
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Mon 03 Jan 2028 Fri 07 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $913 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
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Mon 27 Dec 2027 Fri 31 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,188 Register
Mon 10 Jan 2028 Fri 14 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,188 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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