Invoice Template South Africa 2026

Updated for the 2026/2027 tax year. Current VAT rates, SARS requirements, and best practices for South African invoicing.

What's current for 2026

Complete 2026 invoice checklist

Make sure every invoice you issue in 2026 includes these elements:

• Your business name and physical address
• Your contact details (phone, email)
• Your VAT registration number (if VAT registered)
• Client name and details (required for invoices over R5,000)
• Unique, sequential invoice number
• Date of issue
• Clear description of each good or service provided
• Quantity and unit price for each item
• Subtotal excluding VAT
• VAT amount at 15% (if VAT registered)
• Total including VAT
• Your banking details for EFT payment
• Payment terms (e.g., 'Due within 30 days')

Example 2026 invoice

A sample invoice PDF.

Non-VAT registered businesses

If you are not VAT registered (turnover below R1 million), your invoices should NOT include a VAT breakdown. Simply show the total amount. Important: do not add 15% and call it VAT. That is illegal if you are not registered.

Your invoice should still include your business name, client details, invoice number, date, description of work, amounts, and banking details. The only difference is no VAT line.

Record keeping for 2026

SARS requires you to keep financial records for:

• Tax invoices (issued and received): 5 years per VAT Act Section 55
• Income tax records: 5 years from date of submission per Tax Administration Act Section 29
• Provisional tax records: 5 years
• Employment records (payslips, IRP5s): 5 years after employment ends

The free generator does not store your invoices, so save every PDF you create. A dated folder on your phone or computer, backed up to cloud storage, keeps them together and easy to find.

Create invoices for 2026 and send them on WhatsApp

The free invoice generator covers every item on the checklist above. Open it on your phone or laptop and work through it in this order:

• Your details: business name, physical address, phone and email, and banking details. Upload your logo if you have one.
• VAT number: enter it only if you are VAT registered. For a tax invoice, use the tax invoice generator, which titles the document Tax Invoice.
• Client: the client name and address. For a tax invoice over R5,000, add the client VAT number in the client address field.
• Invoice number and dates: type the next number in your own sequence (for example INV-2026-001), the date of issue and the due date.
• Line items: a clear description, quantity and unit price for each good or service. A line for consulting services at R10,000 with VAT on gives R1,500 VAT and a total of R11,500.
• VAT rate: the default is 15% and the rate is editable. Leave VAT switched off if you are not registered.
• Notes: payment terms, for example payment due within 30 days.

When the preview looks right, click Download PDF and choose Save as PDF in the print dialog. Nothing is stored on wabill and refreshing the page clears the form, so save the PDF to your phone or computer before you close the tab, and keep a copy for your records. To send it, open the chat with your client in WhatsApp, tap attach and choose Document (not Gallery), so the PDF arrives uncompressed and easy to print. Name the file with the invoice number and client so it is easy to find if SARS ever asks for it.