Free Billing App for South African Small Businesses

1. Open the free billing app. Open the tool in any modern browser. No account, no signup. Your billing records stay on your device.
2. Set up your business. Open Settings to add your business name, address, VAT number (if registered), banking details, logo and document numbering. Saved once, reused on every document.
3. Add a client. Open the Clients tab and add the customer — name, contact, billing address and VAT number where relevant. Clients are saved for reuse.
4. Create an invoice, quote or credit note. Open the Documents tab, choose the document type, pick the client and add line items. Saved line items can be reused across documents. VAT is applied per line.
5. Print, save as PDF or back up. Use the live preview, then Print / Save as PDF via your browser print dialog. Use the Backup tab to export a JSON backup you control. Convert quotes to invoices in one click when accepted.

Invoice

A document the supplier issues to the customer requesting payment for goods or services already supplied. For VAT-registered suppliers, this is normally a tax invoice.

Tax invoice

A SARS-defined invoice issued by a VAT-registered supplier with the words "Tax Invoice" (or "VAT Invoice" / "Invoice"), serial number, supplier and recipient details, description, value, VAT charged and consideration. Required to claim input VAT.

Quote (quotation)

A pre-sale document showing the proposed price and terms for goods or services. Not a tax invoice and not a request for payment. Convert to an invoice once accepted.

Credit note

A document the supplier issues to reduce or cancel a previously issued invoice — for returns, allowances, billing errors or cancelled supplies. Must reference the original invoice. Required to reverse output VAT.

Pro-forma invoice

A preliminary invoice issued before the supply or before payment. Often used as a quote-with-banking-details. Not a tax invoice and cannot be used to claim VAT.

VAT (Value-Added Tax)

A 15% indirect tax on most goods and services in South Africa. Charged by VAT-registered suppliers on standard-rated supplies; zero-rated and exempt supplies are treated differently.

Zero-rated supply

A supply on which VAT is charged at 0% (e.g. exports, certain foodstuffs). The supplier still issues a tax invoice and can claim input VAT.

Exempt supply

A supply on which no VAT is charged and on which the supplier cannot claim input VAT (e.g. residential rental, certain financial services). Not the same as zero-rated.

Net amount

The line or document value before VAT.

Gross amount (consideration)

The total value the customer pays — net amount plus VAT.

VAT, in plain terms

If you are VAT-registered, the tool produces tax invoices with the SARS-required fields and per-line VAT at 15% (or zero-rated / exempt where applicable). It does not file VAT-201 returns and is not a substitute for accounting software for the purposes of input/output VAT reconciliation. If you are not VAT-registered, leave VAT off and issue plain invoices — do not label them "Tax Invoice". VAT registration becomes compulsory above an annual taxable supply threshold set by SARS; check the current threshold with SARS or your accountant. See the SARS VAT page for current rules.

Last updated: 2026-05-06. Verified against current SARS tax-invoice guidance and Value-Added Tax Act provisions.

Sources: SARS — Value-Added Tax · SARS — Businesses and tax · Value-Added Tax Act (gov.za).