VAT capture guide
Scan slips for VAT in South Africa
A useful scan keeps the original slip and the VAT fields together, so the document can be checked before anyone treats the amount as claimable.
What does it mean to scan a slip for VAT?
Scan the whole till slip or supplier invoice, keep that image with the record, and extract the supplier, date, total, VAT and line items. The scan is evidence. It is not the claim. AI should transcribe the slip. A separate rules check, and then a person, decides whether the VAT looks claimable.
Capture these fields
| On the slip | Why it matters for VAT |
|---|---|
| Supplier name, address and VAT number | Shows who made the supply, where those details are printed. |
| Date and document number | Places the purchase in the right period and ties it to one document. |
| Description and line items | Separates fuel, food, services and personal items on a mixed slip. |
| Total and VAT amount | Gives the figure to check. A missing or unreadable VAT line still needs review. |
Check the document tier before the claim
The value of the supply changes which document SARS expects. For R50 or less, a tax invoice is not required, but a till slip or sales docket that shows the VAT is still needed to verify input tax. From above R50 up to R5 000, an abridged tax invoice may be used. Above R5 000, a full tax invoice is required, including the recipient’s details where the recipient is a vendor.
Read the tier rules in VAT invoice requirements in South Africa.
Some slips show VAT that is not claimable
Petrol and diesel are generally zero-rated, so there is ordinarily no input VAT to deduct on the fuel itself. Entertainment is often standard-rated, but input VAT on entertainment is generally denied, subject to specific exceptions. A scanner that copies the VAT line onto every row will overstate the claim.
The separate treatment is explained in VAT on fuel and entertainment.
How SlipSaver scans a slip for VAT
SlipSaver keeps the photo or file, uses AI to extract the fields, and then runs a rules engine for the document tier, fuel and entertainment. The user can correct a field or the business-use percentage. The result stays an automated estimate for an accountant or tax practitioner to review.