What makes a till slip a valid tax invoice in South Africa?
For purchases up to R5 000, a till slip qualifies as an abridged tax invoice if it shows the words tax invoice, VAT invoice or invoice, the supplier's name, address and VAT registration number, a serial number and date, a description of what was bought, and the amount with the VAT either shown separately or stated as included. Below R50, no invoice is needed at all, though you still need the slip as proof.
The three tiers of the VAT Act
Section 20 of the VAT Act sets three levels. R50 or less: no tax invoice required, but keep a document, such as the till slip, that shows the VAT charged. From R50 up to R5 000: an abridged tax invoice, which is what most till slips from registered vendors are. Above R5 000: a full tax invoice, which must also carry your own name, address and VAT number as the recipient, something a till printer never adds.
That last tier is the common trap. A R7 000 equipment purchase on a till slip is not claimable as it stands; you have to go back to the supplier for a full invoice with your details on it.
Slipsort keeps every slip legible for as long as SARS can ask.
Scan in about a second, numbers read for you, one pack per month for your accountant.
Get Slipsort free on iPhoneWhat to check on the slip itself
The supplier's VAT number is the field that fails most often; small shops sometimes print a slip with no VAT number because they are not registered vendors, and there is no input claim on those at all. The words tax invoice matter too, and so does the VAT being shown or declared, either as its own line or as a statement that the total includes VAT at 15%.
Slipsort checks each slip against these requirements when it reads it, and the pack's cover page counts how many slips in the period qualify as valid tax invoices, so the gap is visible before your accountant finds it.
Why this decides your VAT claim
An input VAT deduction stands or falls on the document. If the slip does not meet the requirements for its tier, the claim can be reversed in verification, with penalties and interest on top. The cost of checking at capture time is a glance; the cost of checking five years later is whatever SARS says it is.
Quick answers
- Does an abridged tax invoice need my company's details?
- No. Up to R5 000 the recipient's details are not required, which is why an ordinary till slip can qualify. Above R5 000 your details must appear, and you need a full tax invoice from the supplier.
- What if the shop is not VAT registered?
- Then there is no VAT on the sale and nothing to claim as input tax. The slip is still worth keeping as proof of a business expense for income tax.