Our professional team not only has a deep understanding of South African VAT rules and laws but also has the experience to deal with real problems and practical issues associated with South African VAT. Our approach is not to only define a problem but also, to find practical solutions to them. Conducting operations in South Africa, like with most foreign countries, comes with uncertainty and risk. Our area of expertise will help you mitigate at least the VAT risks associated with conducting business in or through South Africa. We provide a variety of services, a few of which is listed below:

  • Electronic Services

    The advent of the digital age has brought about many challenges for tax systems around the world. The South African VAT system was, prior to 1 April 2014 no exception to this with only a reverse charge mechanism being employed as a VAT collection method where foreign supplied electronic services were being consumed in South Africa. More >

  • VAT Leakage Prevention

    VAT leakage is a phenomenon that occurs where VAT cascades, becomes a cost to the foreign business or alternatively to the foreign business’ South African client and which often has an adverse effect on gross profit margins, the sustainability or viability of South African based projects and which can, and often does, taint business relationships where not properly managed. More >

  • South African VAT Obligations of Foreign Business

    For foreign businesses operating in South Africa, South African Value Added Tax (“VAT”) obligations (or Goods and Services Tax (GST) as known in many other jurisdictions) often finds itself in the shadow of the more pertinent permanent establishment and concomitant South African corporate income tax obligations. More >

  • Foreign VAT Disputre Resolution

    Late payment penalties are the most common source of VAT disputes. However, where these late payment penalties follow as a result of an assessment from SARS, the dispute is often much bigger as the South African VAT system is a self-assessment type system and therefore where SARS issues an assessment, there is often a much bigger problem. More >

  • Foreign VAT Ruling

    A VAT ruling is a document issued by SARS on application which sets out a VAT treatment to a specific transaction and to which SARS bind themselves. In the complex and often uncertain world of VAT in South Africa, having a binding view form SARS is often the best possible solution given that there may be more than one professional opinion on the interpretation of certain VAT provisions. The SARS VAT ruling team contains some of the best and most respected resources in the country. More >