Receipt capture guide
Receipt scanning for South African businesses
A useful scanner does more than photograph a slip: it captures the evidence, extracts the fields, and keeps the original connected to the transaction.
What should a receipt scanner do?
A business receipt scanner should preserve a readable copy of the original, extract the merchant, date, total, VAT and line items, let the user correct errors, and keep the document linked to its accounting record. OCR should transcribe the slip; it should not invent the final tax treatment.
Capture the evidence before the paper fades
Till slips are easy to lose and thermal paper can become difficult to read. Capture the whole document as soon as practical, including the supplier details, VAT number, date, totals and any text at the bottom of the slip. Avoid cropped corners, shadows and blurred totals.
Readable originalKeep the image or PDF connected to the extracted record.
Editable fieldsOCR errors must be correctable before the record is exported.
Audit trailRetain enough context to explain the amount and business purpose.
Fields worth extracting
| Field | Why it matters | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier | Identifies who provided the goods or services. | Name, address and VAT number where shown. |
| Date | Places the expense in the correct period. | Watch for OCR confusion between day and month. |
| Total and VAT | Supports the accounting and VAT calculation. | Check inclusive/exclusive totals and decimal points. |
| Line items | Helps separate business and personal purchases. | Review mixed slips line by line. |
| Document type | Determines which invoice checks are relevant. | Distinguish a till slip from a purchase invoice. |
Keep records in an orderly, reviewable form
SARS says records should be kept in their original form, in an orderly fashion, in a safe place and open for inspection. Electronic records are permitted subject to the applicable requirements. The general retention period after submitting a return is five years, but audits, objections or unsubmitted returns can extend the period.
A scan is therefore most useful when it is searchable, backed up and connected to the extracted transaction—not when it is one more unnamed photo in a phone gallery.
Where SlipSaver fits
SlipSaver captures the document, uses AI to extract the fields, and then passes the result to a separate rules engine. The user can review the original, correct the category or business-use percentage, and prepare an accountant export. The claim result remains an automated estimate for review.