A tax invoice in South Africa is an invoice that carries the details section 20 of the VAT Act asks for: the words "Tax Invoice", "VAT Invoice" or "Invoice", your name, address and VAT number, the client's details, a serial number, a date, what was supplied, and the value, the VAT and the total. Copy the template below, fill in the blanks, and check it against the list under it.
Only a business that is registered for VAT can issue a tax invoice. If you are not registered, you issue a plain invoice with no VAT on it. And the buyer can claim the VAT back only if the invoice has everything SARS lists, so a template that leaves one field out costs your client money.
What is a tax invoice, and how is it different from an invoice?
An invoice asks for payment. A tax invoice is an invoice that also works as proof of the VAT charged, so the buyer can claim it as input tax. The difference is the content, not the layout.
| Invoice | Tax invoice | |
|---|---|---|
| Who issues it | Anyone | A business registered for VAT |
| VAT shown | Not needed | The VAT charged, on the face of the document |
| Your VAT number | Not needed | Required |
| Can the buyer claim input VAT on it | No | Yes, if it has every required detail |
What must a tax invoice show?
SARS lists these items on its tax invoices page, which we read on 3 November 2026.
- The words "Tax Invoice", "VAT Invoice" or "Invoice", as a heading.
- The supplier's name, address and VAT registration number.
- The recipient's name and address, and the recipient's VAT registration number if the recipient is a VAT vendor.
- A serial number and the date of issue.
- An accurate description of the goods or services, and whether the goods are second-hand.
- The quantity or volume supplied.
- The value of the supply, the VAT charged and the total (the "consideration").
Which version you issue depends on the amount, including VAT:
| Amount of the supply | What to issue |
|---|---|
| More than R 5,000 | A full tax invoice, with all seven items above |
| R 5,000 or less | An abridged tax invoice, which may leave out some of the recipient's details |
| R 50 or less | No tax invoice is required, but the buyer needs a till slip or docket that shows the VAT, to claim it |
SARS also sets the time limit: issue the invoice within 21 days of the supply. The SARS page does not say which items an abridged invoice may drop, so ask your accountant, or read the accounting software and VAT rules guide, before you strip a template down.
Free tax invoice template (copy and fill in)
Copy this layout into Word, Excel or Google Sheets. Replace everything in square brackets.
| TAX INVOICE | Invoice no. [0001], dated [date of issue] |
| From | [Your company name], [street address], VAT no. [your VAT number] |
| To | [Client name], [client address], VAT no. [client VAT number, if they are a vendor] |
| Payment due | [date or terms, for example 30 days] |
| Description | Quantity | Unit price (excl. VAT) | Amount (excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| [What you supplied] | [1] | [R 0.00] | [R 0.00] |
| [What you supplied] | [1] | [R 0.00] | [R 0.00] |
| Total excluding VAT | [R 0.00] |
| VAT at 15% | [R 0.00] |
| Total including VAT | [R 0.00] |
| Banking details | [Bank, account name, account number, branch code] |
Leave out the payment due and banking rows if you do not want them. SARS does not ask for them, but your client needs them to pay you.
Tax invoice example (a full invoice above R 5,000)
This one is made up, to show the layout filled in. The names and numbers are not real.
| TAX INVOICE | Invoice no. 0042, dated 3 November 2026 |
| From | Example Signs (Pty) Ltd, 1 Sample Street, Cape Town, VAT no. 4123456789 |
| To | Sample Builders (Pty) Ltd, 2 Demo Road, Stellenbosch, VAT no. 4987654321 |
| Description | Quantity | Unit price (excl. VAT) | Amount (excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site boards, 1.2 m x 2.4 m, printed and mounted | 4 | R 1,000.00 | R 4,000.00 |
| Installation, one day | 1 | R 1,000.00 | R 1,000.00 |
| Total excluding VAT | R 5,000.00 |
| VAT at 15% | R 750.00 |
| Total including VAT | R 5,750.00 |
The total is above R 5,000, so this is a full tax invoice and it needs the client's name, address and VAT number, as shown. Below R 5,000 you could issue the abridged version.
Which format should you use: Word, Excel or PDF?
- Word is easy to fill in, but you type the sums yourself, so a slip in the VAT line goes straight to your client.
- Excel or Google Sheets can work out the VAT and the total for you with a formula. You also need a way to number invoices without skipping or repeating a number.
- PDF is what you send. Send a PDF, not the editable file, so nobody changes the figures afterwards.
The vendors who publish free templates, such as Enerpize, offer Word, Excel and PDF versions. We read Enerpize's page on 3 November 2026: its Excel and Google Sheets versions work out the totals, and its Word and PDF versions need manual sums. We have not tested its files.
When a template stops being enough
A template is fine for a handful of invoices a month. These are the signs that it is time for software:
- You retype the same client details on every invoice, and sometimes get the VAT number wrong.
- Numbers repeat or skip, because two people use the same file.
- You cannot say quickly who has not paid, because paid and unpaid invoices sit in different files.
- A job bills in stages, with a deposit, progress payments and money held back.
- Someone has to make a credit note when an invoice was wrong. A credit note is its own document and refers to the invoice it corrects.
Our guide to replacing spreadsheets with software goes through the same signs for the whole business. And if you are still wondering what the software does, see What Is Accounting Software and How Does It Work?.
Where does Syniq fit?
Syniq Accounting is one of the six apps in Syniq Business OS. It does the template's job for you:
- VAT is worked out on every line, and each invoice carries your company, VAT and banking details, with the client's name, address and VAT number if they are registered.
- Invoices are numbered in date order, so you do not repeat or skip a number.
- A quote becomes an invoice, and a long job bills in stages, with retention held back and released later.
- A sent invoice can be credited in full with a credit note.
It is not a full accounting package. Syniq does not produce a balance sheet or trial balance. It has no payroll, no multi-currency invoicing and no live bank feeds, and it does not file VAT returns with SARS. Its only accounting sync is QuickBooks Online, not Xero or Sage. Syniq is not VAT-registered, so it adds no VAT to its own prices.
Starter costs R 47 a month, billed annually, for one user and Accounting plus one other app. Professional costs R 159 for one user and all six apps, and Business costs R 559 for five users and all six apps. See every plan, or start a 14-day free trial with no credit card.
Frequently asked questions
What is a tax invoice in South Africa?
A tax invoice is an invoice from a VAT-registered business that shows the VAT charged and the details section 20 of the VAT Act asks for. The buyer needs it to claim the VAT back as input tax.
What is the difference between an invoice and a tax invoice in South Africa?
An invoice asks for payment and can be issued by anyone. A tax invoice is issued only by a VAT-registered business and must show the VAT, the supplier's VAT number and the other details SARS lists, so the buyer can claim input tax.
What must a SARS tax invoice include?
The heading "Tax Invoice", "VAT Invoice" or "Invoice", the supplier's name, address and VAT number, the recipient's name and address, a serial number, the date, a description, the quantity, and the value, the VAT and the total.
When do I need a full tax invoice instead of an abridged one?
When the supply is more than R 5,000 including VAT. At R 5,000 or less an abridged tax invoice may be issued, and at R 50 or less no tax invoice is required.
How long do I have to issue a tax invoice?
Within 21 days of the supply, according to SARS.
Can I use a free Word or Excel template?
Yes, if it has every detail SARS lists and you are VAT-registered. Check the template against the list above, and number your invoices without gaps or repeats.
Written by Mikhail for Syniq (Pty) Ltd, which makes Syniq Business OS. The SARS requirements are from SARS's tax invoices page, read on 3 November 2026, and the template formats from Enerpize's invoice template page, read the same day. This is general information, not tax advice: ask a registered accountant about your own invoices.
