Your email will be used for sending Abandoned Cart emails

Basic VAT Short Course

VAT is one of the biggest risk areas for businesses, and most mistakes happen at basic level. This short course gives you a clear, practical foundation so you can work with VAT confidently and correctly.

Date:

20 March, 2026

Time:

Available immediately

Hours:

6 hours

CPD Units:

6

Category:

Taxation

Group:

Channel 3: Specialisation

Format:

Self-study

R800,00 VAT incl.

Product Information

VAT is often seen as complicated, but most problems come from misunderstanding the basics. This short course is designed to give accountants, bookkeepers, and business professionals a solid, practical understanding of VAT in South Africa. The focus is on how VAT works in real life, not legislation overload. Delegates will learn how VAT applies to everyday transactions, how to correctly calculate VAT, and how to avoid common errors that trigger audits and penalties. The course explains VAT concepts in simple language and links them directly to day-to-day work. By the end of the course, delegates will feel more confident working with VAT, reviewing VAT returns, and identifying basic VAT risks before they become costly problems.

Presenter/s

Eszter Rapanos
Eszter Rapanos is a Technical Manager at CIBA, bringing extensive audit and quality control experience from her work with international agencies and accounting firms.

Mahomed Kamdar – CIBA Tax Consultant

What will set you apart

By attending this event, delegates will learn:

  • What VAT really is and how it works in practice
  • Who must register for VAT and when registration is required
  • The difference between standard-rated, zero-rated, and exempt supplies
  • How output VAT and input VAT work
  • What can and cannot be claimed as input VAT
  • How to correctly calculate VAT payable or refundable
  • Common VAT mistakes that lead to penalties
  • How to confidently handle basic VAT queries from clients or employers

Event breakdown

  1. What VAT is and why it exists
  2. Who must register for VAT
  3. VAT registration thresholds and requirements
  4. Standard-rated, zero-rated, and exempt supplies
  5. Output VAT explained
  6. Input VAT explained
  7. What input VAT may not be claimed
  8. Calculating VAT payable or refundable
  9. Common VAT errors and risk areas

Certificate

The following Short Course is awarded 6 CPD units in Taxation.