Choosing a tax practitioner to take VAT off your plate — what to confirm first

Handing your VAT to someone else is a relief until it isn't. The difference between a practitioner who keeps SARS happy and one who creates headaches lies in four concrete things you can check before you hire them—and one thing many people miss entirely.

A good VAT practitioner doesn't just file your return on time. They catch input VAT you've missed, flag spending that changes your liability, spot gaps in your record-keeping before SARS does, and explain what's happening to your cash position each quarter. They also protect you: if something goes wrong, you want someone who understands the reputational and financial cost to your business, not someone who treats VAT as a box-ticking exercise.

Their experience with your industry matters more than their general expertise

A practitioner who has handled VAT for five dentists understands the invoicing quirks of a dental practice—what can be zero-rated, which purchases are tricky, seasonal patterns. The same person might struggle with a hospitality business or a consulting firm because the VAT rules that bite hardest are different. Ask how many clients they have in your sector and what the common VAT pitfalls are. If they hesitate or give vague answers, they haven't thought deeply about it.

Industry experience also means they know which SARS audit triggers matter for you. A practitioner familiar with your business type has seen what questions SARS actually asks and what documentation they demand.

The speed and clarity of their reporting back to you

You need to know, every quarter or period, what your VAT position is and why. This doesn't mean a 20-page report—it means a clear, short summary showing what you owe, what you're claiming back, and any changes from last period with a reason. A practitioner worth paying will not treat you as someone who just needs to sign the return.

Ask for a sample report or ask existing clients how often they hear from their practitioner and whether they understand what's in the filing. If the answer is "they send the return and an invoice," move on. Also check how they like to communicate—some work better on WhatsApp, others prefer email or a client portal. That matters for when you have a quick question.

They must trace your VAT liability back to your records

Many practitioners take the numbers you give them and file. A better one asks to see your invoices, bank statements, and records before they tell you what you owe. This isn't pedantic. It's the difference between filing based on what you think is right and filing based on what your actual records show. SARS is far less interested in your belief than in your evidence.

Ask whether they review your records each period or just work from what you hand them. Also ask what happens if they find an error in a past return—do they advise you to amend it, or do they just move forward? The right answer is they tell you about amendments.

Registration and professional standing: the non-negotiable check

Before you ask anything else, confirm they are registered as a tax practitioner with SARS. You can verify this on the SARS website. "Tax practitioner" is not a protected title—anyone can call themselves that—but registered tax practitioners have professional obligations and you have a route if something goes wrong.

Also ask whether they hold professional indemnity insurance. This covers you if they make a mistake that costs you money. Don't assume they have it. A one-person operator sometimes doesn't, and that's a genuine risk if something fails.

Choosing the right person to handle VAT means checking their fit for your business, understanding how they communicate, seeing whether they dig into your records or skim them, and verifying they're properly registered. Those four things predict whether VAT becomes a non-event or a recurring problem. On Strove, you can find verified tax practitioners in your area, check their reviews from other business owners, and message a few to compare their approach before you commit.