Tax is one of the largest and most closely watched costs of doing business in South Africa. This course gives accountants, finance officers, business owners and managers a practical grounding in business tax compliance: income tax on company profits, VAT, dividends tax and withholding taxes, customs and excise, small business regimes, and how to handle SARS verifications, audits, objections and appeals.
The course teaches principles and processes that stay useful when the law changes. Rates, thresholds, deadlines and penalties are shown as examples of the law as at 2026. They are expected to change through the annual Budget and later amendments, so every lesson reminds you to confirm the current position with SARS, National Treasury, the Government Gazette or a registered tax practitioner. All the figures are collected in a dated reference table at the end of the course.
Employees’ tax (PAYE), UIF and the Skills Development Levy are covered in the companion course, Payroll Administration in South Africa.
What you will learn
- How South Africa’s tax system works, the business’s roles as taxpayer and collector, and the Acts SARS administers
- How to register, keep a compliant Tax Compliance Status and keep records that win disputes
- How to turn accounting profit into taxable income, including deductions, capital allowances, assessed losses and provisional tax
- How VAT works in South Africa, from registration and zero-rating to tax invoices, blocked input tax and the VAT201 return
- How to manage dividends tax and other withholding taxes, customs and excise, small business corporations and turnover tax
- How to price related-party transactions, use tax treaties and deal with digital services
- How to run a compliance calendar, handle audits and objections, use the Voluntary Disclosure Programme and manage tax risk
How the course works
There are five modules, each with four lessons and a short quiz. You need 70% on each quiz to complete the course and earn your certificate.
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