VAT201 online submission happens entirely through SARS eFiling: no paper form, no branch visit. The return itself is short, but getting your figures right before you open it is what actually takes the time.
What you need before you start
Have your numbers ready before you open eFiling, not while you're sitting inside the form. You'll need: total standard-rated sales for the period, any zero-rated or exempt sales, total input tax on business expenses (backed by your suppliers' own valid tax invoices), and your VAT registration number and login details. If your invoicing and expenses already live in one system, this is a much shorter job. If they're spread across a few spreadsheets and a shoebox of receipts, budget more time.
Step 1: Log in and request the return
Log in to your eFiling account at efiling.sars.gov.za, go to Returns, then VAT, then VAT201, and select the correct tax period. eFiling generates the return for you. If earlier periods are still outstanding, file those first. New to VAT? Our registration guide explains how the filing periods work.
Step 2: Enter your output tax (what you charged)
Fill in your total standard-rated supplies and the VAT charged on them, then your zero-rated and exempt supplies separately. These figures should match your invoicing records exactly, so a mismatch is worth chasing before you submit. If your invoices are still built by hand, our invoicing guide covers how to keep them consistent.
Step 3: Enter your input tax (what you can claim back)
Add up the VAT on business expenses you've paid, provided each one is backed by a valid supplier tax invoice. No valid tax invoice means no claim, regardless of how legitimate the expense was. This guide covers what makes a tax invoice valid, worth checking your supplier invoices against before you file.
Step 4: Check the calculated amount
eFiling calculates the net figure for you: output tax minus input tax. Positive means you owe SARS. Negative means you're due a refund. Check it against your own records before submitting, since correcting a return after you've submitted it takes extra steps with SARS.
Step 5: Submit and pay
Once the figures are correct, submit the return. Payment is a separate action, so don't assume submitting has settled the bill. You can pay through eFiling directly, by EFT using the unique payment reference number eFiling provides, or in person at a SARS branch or participating bank.
Deadlines you can't miss
SARS's deadline is the 25th of the month after your tax period ends, or the last business day of that month if you file and pay through eFiling. (If the 25th isn't a business day, the deadline moves to the business day before it.) Pay late and SARS adds a 10% penalty on the outstanding amount, plus interest until it's settled.
Do you still have to file if there's nothing to declare?
Yes. A nil return is still a return. No sales and no claimable expenses in a period still means submitting a VAT201 showing zeros, on the same deadline as any other period. Skipping it because there's "nothing to report" still counts as a missed filing.
If you're winding a business down, see VAT deregistration for how to close out your VAT account properly.
Where Invo fits
Invo doesn't submit your VAT201 to SARS, eFiling is still where that actually happens, but it does the harder part beforehand. Every invoice and expense is already split by VAT rate, so your standard-rated, zero-rated and input tax totals sit in one place instead of scattered across a spreadsheet. The reports section pulls those numbers together, and VAT filing periods lock a snapshot of exactly what you filed, so you've got a record if SARS ever asks. See the full picture on the features page.
