If you're VAT-registered in South Africa, you charge VAT on top of your prices (output VAT) and you can claim back the VAT you pay on business purchases (input VAT). The amount you pay SARS each period is the difference.
Output VAT - what you collect
For most sales at the standard rate, output VAT is 15% of the sale. If your price is VAT-exclusive, add 15%. If it's VAT-inclusive, the VAT is the amount inside the price (about 13.04% of the inclusive figure). Getting this right per line is exactly the kind of arithmetic software should do for you.
Zero-rated and exempt are not the same
Zero-rated items (like basic food) are taxable but at 0% - they appear on your VAT return. Exempt items (like many financial services) don't appear on it at all. When in doubt, ask your accountant which applies to what you sell.
Input VAT - what you claim back
Every valid expense with a VAT invoice can reduce the VAT you pay. This is where accurate expense records save you real money each VAT period.
The report your accountant wants
A VAT return is basically: total sales, output VAT, input VAT and net payable. If you can hand your accountant a report with exactly those numbers per month, reconciliation becomes a five-minute job.
The VAT report on Pro builds from your invoices automatically - sales and output VAT per month, exported to CSV. Input VAT per expense is planned for the full ledger on the Business plan.