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South Africa VAT Tax Invoice Template

A free, editable layout for a full tax invoice issued by a South African VAT vendor. It has a field for each particular in section 20(4) of the VAT Act: the words "tax invoice", "VAT invoice" or "invoice", your name, address and VAT registration number, the recipient's name and address and, if they are a vendor, their VAT number, a serialised number and date, a full description, the quantity or volume, and the value, VAT and total consideration in rand. Use it for any supply over R5,000 and for every zero-rated supply. For R5,000 or less you may leave out the recipient's details and the quantity (an abridged tax invoice). The template is a layout, not a guarantee of compliance: you fill in every figure and check which particulars your supply needs. It downloads as an HTML file you can edit in a browser and print or save as PDF.

Draft this invoice
Preview this editable document

Download the HTML file to edit its fields, then print or save as PDF. Totals are entered manually.

What This Template Includes

  • Your VAT registration number
  • Recipient's VAT registration number (if they are a VAT vendor)
  • Second-hand goods indicator (where applicable)
  • Zero-rated supply: VAT at 0% and the reason

How to Create Your South Africa VAT Tax Invoice

  1. 01

    Describe your work

    Type a plain English description of the services you provided, the client, and the amount.

  2. 02

    AI generates your invoice

    InvoiceQuickly's AI drafts the client, line items, dates, and totals for you to review before saving.

  3. 03

    Review, download, and send

    Check every detail, download the PDF, or use Pro to email the PDF directly to your client.

Recommended Payment Terms

Section 20 of the VAT Act sets when the tax invoice must be issued (within 21 days of the supply), not when your customer must pay. Agree payment terms with your customer and print them, for example "Payment due within 30 days of the invoice date", with your bank details and the reference to quote. Keep the tax invoice number and date the same if you later chase payment: only one tax invoice may be issued for each supply, so send a copy marked "copy" rather than a new invoice.

Need help writing payment terms? Read our guide to invoice payment terms for best practices and templates.

Tax Information

South Africa's standard VAT rate is 15%. Increases to 15.5% from 1 May 2025 and 16% from 1 April 2026 were announced and then reversed (SARS; National Treasury, 24 April 2025). Zero-rated supplies, such as qualifying exports, are charged at 0%, and exempt supplies carry no VAT. Show the value, VAT and consideration, or a VAT-inclusive total with the VAT amount or a statement that VAT is included at 15%. Only VAT vendors issue tax invoices. From 1 April 2026 SARS applies a compulsory registration threshold of R2.3 million in taxable supplies a year (previously R1 million) and a voluntary threshold of R120,000. InvoiceQuickly applies one tax percentage per invoice, copies saved tax IDs to new invoice PDFs and does not offer rand in the editor.

Industry context (2026)

Two changes affect South African invoicing in 2026. From 1 April 2026, SARS applies a compulsory VAT registration threshold of R2.3 million in taxable supplies a year (up from R1 million) and a voluntary threshold of R120,000 (up from R50,000), as announced in the 2026 Budget. In August 2026, SARS published a VAT Modernisation Consultation Paper proposing a digital VAT model built on e-invoicing, an interoperability framework and e-reporting, to be phased in after consultation. Comments closed on 16 October 2026 and no implementation dates have been set. Until then, a PDF built from this layout is a valid tax invoice if it carries every section 20 particular (SARS, accessed 27 October 2026).

Worked example

Naidoo Web Studio (Pty) Ltd, a VAT vendor in Cape Town, finished a website for Karoo Freight (Pty) Ltd, a VAT vendor in Johannesburg, on 14 October 2026 (an illustrative example). Tax invoice NWS-2026-0087 is dated 20 October 2026, within 21 days of the supply. Lines: website design and build, fixed fee R18,000.00; content migration, 12 hours at R500.00 = R6,000.00. Value of supply: R24,000.00. VAT at 15%: R3,600.00. Total consideration: R27,600.00. Because the total is over R5,000, this is a full tax invoice showing both companies' names, addresses and VAT numbers, and the quantity on each line. A R2,000 maintenance fee plus R300 VAT (R2,300) could go on an abridged tax invoice instead.

Common mistakes to avoid

Leaving off the buyer's VAT number over R5,000

A full tax invoice needs the recipient's VAT number whenever the recipient is a VAT vendor. Without it, your customer may not be able to deduct the input tax.

Using an abridged invoice for an export

The abridged form does not apply to zero-rated supplies. Issue a full tax invoice, whatever the amount.

Billing a local customer in dollars

Tax invoices must be in rand. Only supplies zero-rated under section 11 may show the consideration in a foreign currency.

Missing the 21-day deadline

The tax invoice is due within 21 days of the supply, not when the customer asks for it.

Re-issuing instead of copying

Only one tax invoice may exist per supply. Send a copy marked "copy", or a credit or debit note if the amount changes.

Invoicing Tips

  • 1Over R5,000, use the full layout with the recipient's name, address and VAT number. For R5,000 or less, an abridged tax invoice without the recipient's details is allowed.
  • 2Zero-rated supply? Always issue a full tax invoice, even for small amounts. The abridged form does not apply.
  • 3Issue the tax invoice within 21 days of the supply. A job finished on 14 October needs its tax invoice by 4 November.
  • 4Write the quantity or volume on full tax invoices, for example "12 hours" rather than just "content migration".
  • 5Mark second-hand goods as second-hand in the description. Section 20 asks for it.
  • 6Never issue a second tax invoice for the same supply. If the customer loses theirs, send a copy clearly marked "copy".

Related Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What must a South African tax invoice include?

A full tax invoice (over R5,000, or any zero-rated supply) needs the words "tax invoice", "VAT invoice" or "invoice", your name, address and VAT number, the recipient's name and address and, if they are a vendor, their VAT number, a serialised number and date, a full and proper description, the quantity or volume, and the value, VAT and consideration in rand. An abridged tax invoice (R5,000 or less) can leave out the recipient's details and the quantity.

Do I need a tax invoice for small amounts?

For R5,000 or less, an abridged tax invoice is enough, unless the supply is zero-rated. According to SARS's VAT 404 guide, no tax invoice has to be issued when the consideration is less than R50.

Can I issue this template in US dollars?

Only for supplies zero-rated under section 11, such as qualifying exports, where the consideration may be in a foreign currency. Other tax invoices must be in rand.

Does this template calculate 15% VAT?

No. You type the figures and totals yourself. If you draft an invoice in InvoiceQuickly instead, the app adds one tax percentage to the subtotal and shows it as a generic "Tax (15%)" line. It does not offer rand in the editor and copies saved tax IDs to new invoice PDFs, so it is not suitable for South African rand tax invoices today.

Is e-invoicing required in South Africa?

Not today. Electronic tax invoices are allowed but optional. SARS consulted on a digital VAT model with e-invoicing and e-reporting until 16 October 2026, and has not set implementation dates.