[Question] Invoice without VAT registration

[Eliton HR]

Hello's I'm clayton, I just registered a new small business and it is a maze of paperwork, complicated by contradictions, e.g. I need to invoice my client with two bills. The SARS needs proof of income above R50 000, to voluntarily register for VAT. The client on the other hand will not honour my invoices if I don't have a VAT number.

Is it possible to invoice a customer without a VAT number, if so how do I go about doing this? Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you.

[Dave A]

You can raise an invoice when you're not a registered VAT vendor - you just can't charge VAT.

The consequence is your client couldn't claim the VAT portion as input VAT (assuming it's something that ordinarily would be claimable as an input cost incurred in the course of making taxable supplies).

Ultimately a better understanding of the client's "problem" with you not having a VAT number is required.

As for getting SARS to bend their process - you might want to read this - SARS red tape is killing business
or perhaps not if you happen to suffer from occasional bouts of manic depression.

[KimH]

Amazingly enough I submitted a voluntary Vat registration for myself on the 11th December 2013 and received my Vat Reg Certificate on the 28th December 2013.
I had heard loads of horror stories about the amount of time it was taking for registrations and was totally floored when mine came through so quickly.
Perhaps the fact that I made an appointment with the TP unit and had all my documentation in order helped....
Clayton, probably best to get your Accountant to do the registration for you.
Good luck!