FAQ & Glossary
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I delete an invoice? Submitted sales and purchase documents can't be deleted — this protects the SARS audit trail. To reverse one, cancel and amend, or issue a credit/debit note.
The VAT201 has lots of "needs review" rows. What now? The items on those documents are missing a VAT category, or the wrong tax template was used. Fix the item's VAT category or the document's tax template, then re-fetch the return. See Prepare & Review the VAT201 Return.
Full tax invoice or abridged — which do I send? Full (with the customer's name, address and VAT number) above the prescribed threshold or when the customer is a VAT vendor; abridged for smaller supplies. See Tax Invoices, Credit & Debit Notes.
An employee's PAYE looks wrong. Usually the Income Tax Slab on their Salary Structure Assignment is for the wrong tax year, or no slab is linked. Have it corrected and reprocess.
Why is there no SA Payroll workspace? Frappe HR (HRMS) isn't installed — payroll is turned off on this site. That's normal for VAT-only setups.
Does the system submit to SARS for me? No. It produces compliant working papers (VAT201, EMP201, EMP501, IRP5) and audit trails. You file on SARS eFiling / e@syFile.
Does ETI reduce an employee's pay? No. ETI is an employer incentive that reduces the PAYE the employer pays over on the EMP201. The employee's PAYE and net pay are unaffected.
Where do I change tax rates / rebates / the UIF cap? Those are statutory configuration maintained by your administrator. See the practitioner guide → Statutory Rate Data and Annual Statutory Update.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| PAYE | Pay-As-You-Earn — employees' tax withheld monthly. |
| UIF | Unemployment Insurance Fund — 1% employee + 1% employer, capped. |
| SDL | Skills Development Levy — 1% employer levy. |
| ETI | Employment Tax Incentive — reduces employer PAYE for qualifying young/low earners. |
| VAT201 | The periodic VAT return. |
| EMP201 | Monthly employer declaration of PAYE/UIF/SDL/ETI. |
| EMP501 | Annual/interim employer reconciliation. |
| IRP5 / IT3(a) | Employee annual tax certificate (IT3(a) where no tax was deducted). |
| COIDA / OID | Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases / Occupational Injury or Disease. |
| Tax invoice | A VAT-compliant invoice; full or abridged depending on value/recipient. |
| Input / Output VAT | VAT paid on purchases / VAT charged on sales. |
| SARS | South African Revenue Service. |
| CIPC | Companies and Intellectual Property Commission. |
| SETA / WSP / ATR | Sector training authority / Workplace Skills Plan / Annual Training Report. |
Need more detail?
Setup, statutory mechanics and full field references live in the SA Practitioner Guide.