Questions to ask before someone configures your VAT and chart of accounts

Most businesses discover their VAT and chart of accounts are misconfigured only when something breaks—a tax audit flags problems, a bank reconciliation goes sideways, or a year-end report looks wrong. By then, unwinding the damage costs far more than getting it right the first time. The person setting this up needs to understand your business model, your tax obligations, and how you actually operate. Asking the right questions now protects you later.

"How will you structure my VAT registration and what are you assuming about my turnover?"

VAT registration thresholds and exemptions matter enormously. A bookkeeper or accountant who dives into setup without clarifying whether you're VAT-registered, partially exempt, or zero-rated is likely to build you a chart of accounts that doesn't match your real tax life. Listen for them asking *you* questions: What's your annual turnover? Do you make any exempt supplies—like financial services or rental income? Are you importing or exporting? A good answer sounds like, "I'm going to map your business model first, then structure the VAT accounts so we capture the right data at the point of sale." An evasive one sounds like, "Don't worry, I'll just set it up the standard way." Standard rarely works.

"Walk me through how you'll code the chart of accounts to my actual invoices and expenses."

Many setups fail because the person configuring it hasn't seen a single real transaction from your business. They've created generic accounts that sound right but don't match how you invoice, what you spend money on, or what information you actually need to run your business. Ask them to explain how they'd code three concrete examples: a customer invoice, a supplier invoice for stock, and a monthly overhead expense like rent or utilities. If they ask to see your invoices first and map accounts from there, that's a good sign. If they say they'll "adjust it later," that's a red flag. Later rarely happens, and when it does, it's expensive and disruptive to untangle.

"What reports do you expect me to run each month, and how will this structure support them?"

The chart of accounts isn't just a filing cabinet for SARS—it's your operating dashboard. You need to know whether you're profitable, which product lines are margin, where cash is going, and whether you're on budget. The person setting up your system should ask what reports *you* need to make decisions. If they can't articulate which accounts feed into your P&L by customer type, by product, or by cost centre, they're building you a backward-looking compliance tool, not a forward-looking business system. A strong answer includes, "Here's the standard monthly management pack I recommend, but I'll tailor it to your questions." Listen for them adapting, not just delivering a template.

"How will you handle the hand-over, and what will I do if something doesn't work right?"

After setup, you own the system. Before they hand it over, confirm they'll show you—not just tell you—where the main accounts are, what the bank feeds are doing, and how to catch a reconciliation problem. Ask whether they'll be available for follow-up questions in the first month if something feels wrong, and on what terms. Good providers include a brief post-setup review; those who vanish after login credentials are passed over often leave you stuck. Also ask: do they have experience fixing setups gone wrong, and would they charge to audit and correct something if it wasn't right? A transparent answer protects both of you.

When you're ready to move forward, look for someone who asks as many questions as you do. Verify they've worked with your software before and ideally with businesses similar to yours. On Strove, you can find accounting software specialists who've been vetted and can show you exactly what they've delivered in past setups—compare their answers to these questions across a few profiles before deciding who to brief.