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Documents and templates

You need six documents to run a small business properly. Everything else can wait.

11 min read

About this page

Written by AI (Claude, Anthropic). An AI checked it against the sources below on 13 September 2026. No person has checked it yet. Rules change: check the official source before you act. Not legal, tax or financial advice.

AI-checked An AI compared the facts on this page with the sources. An AI can miss mistakes.

How this was made

On this page (15 sections)
Words used on this page

Plain meanings for the terms used in this file. The full list is in Glossary.

Quote / quotation
A price you offer before the work. Not yet a sale.
Invoice
The bill you send after the work, asking for payment.
Receipt
Proof you received the money.
Credit note
A document that cancels or reduces an invoice you already sent. Use it instead of deleting an invoice.
Qty
Quantity. How many.
Unit price
The price for one.
Subtotal
The total before VAT is added.
excl. / incl. VAT
Excluding VAT (before it is added) / including VAT (after).
Due date
The last day the customer may pay without being late.
EFT
Electronic funds transfer. A bank payment.
Branch code
The number that identifies your bank branch. Ask your bank.
Abridged tax invoice
A shorter VAT invoice allowed for sales between R50 and R5,000.
Recipient
The customer. The person or business receiving the goods.
Reconcile
Check that your records and your bank statement agree.
Odometer
The kilometre counter on the dashboard.
Deposit
Money paid up front before work starts.

You need six documents to run a small business properly. Everything else can wait.

  1. A quote
  2. An invoice
  3. A receipt
  4. Terms and conditions
  5. A privacy notice
  6. A cash book

Build these once, in the tool you chose in Free tools, and reuse them.

Invoice numbering

Number invoices in order with no gaps: INV-0001, INV-0002, INV-0003.

A gap in the sequence looks like a hidden sale to SARS. If you cancel an invoice, do not delete it. Issue a credit note against it and keep both.

Use the same idea for quotes: QUO-0001.

If you are a Pty Ltd: the header line that is required by law

Every quote, invoice, receipt, delivery note and letter must carry the company's full registered name and registration number, under section 32 of the Companies Act. If you use a trading name, show both:

MOKOENA MOTORS
A trading name of Mokoena Holdings (Pty) Ltd | Reg. No. 2026/123456/07

The templates below show [Company registration number, if you have one]. For a company it is not optional.

Template 1: quotation

[YOUR BUSINESS NAME]
[Your name] | [Phone] | [Email]
[Physical address]
[Company registration number, if you have one]

QUOTATION

Quote number: QUO-0001
Date: [DD Month YYYY]
Valid until: [DD Month YYYY]

TO
[Customer name]
[Customer address]
[Customer phone / email]

-------------------------------------------------------------
Description Qty Unit price Amount
-------------------------------------------------------------
[Item or service] 1 R 0.00 R 0.00
[Item or service] 1 R 0.00 R 0.00
-------------------------------------------------------------
 TOTAL R 0.00
-------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT IS INCLUDED
- [Be specific]
- [Be specific]

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
- [List it, or you will be asked to do it free]

TIMING
Work starts [when] and takes approximately [how long] once the deposit
is received.

PAYMENT
Deposit of [X]% before work starts. Balance due [on completion / within
X days of invoice].

This quote is valid for [X] days. Prices may change after that date.
Accepting this quote means you accept my terms and conditions, attached
or available at [link].

Accepted by: ______________________ Date: ______________
Words in [square brackets] are blanks. Replace them with your own details.

Three rules that save you money:

Put a validity date on every quote. Material prices move.

Write down what is not included. Most disputes are about work the customer assumed was in the price.

Get a deposit before you buy materials. A signed quote plus a deposit is a contract.

Template 2: invoice if you are NOT registered for VAT

Most small businesses are here. Turnover under R2.3 million a year means you are not required to register.

Rules you must follow: do not use the words "Tax Invoice". Do not show a VAT line. Do not show a VAT number. Do not add 15% to anything.

If you are not registered for VAT, issue a regular invoice showing your total price. Do not mention VAT, do not include a VAT line, and do not use the words "Tax Invoice".

[YOUR BUSINESS NAME]
[Your name] | [Phone] | [Email]
[Physical address]
[Company registration number, if you have one]

INVOICE

Invoice number: INV-0001
Date: [DD Month YYYY]
Due date: [DD Month YYYY]

TO
[Customer name]
[Customer address]

-------------------------------------------------------------
Description Qty Unit price Amount
-------------------------------------------------------------
[Item or service] 1 R 0.00 R 0.00
-------------------------------------------------------------
 AMOUNT DUE R 0.00
-------------------------------------------------------------

PAYMENT DETAILS
Bank: [Bank name]
Account name: [Exactly as it appears on the account]
Account number: [Number]
Branch code: [Code]
Reference: INV-0001

Please use the invoice number as your payment reference.
Payment is due by [date]. [State your late payment terms here.]
Words in [square brackets] are blanks. Replace them with your own details.

Template 3: invoice if you ARE registered for VAT

Only use this once SARS has issued your VAT number.

There are three levels, based on the total including VAT.

A tax invoice is not required where the amount is R50 or less, although you still need supporting documentation for an input tax deduction.

For supplies from R50 up to R5,000, an abridged tax invoice is allowed. It needs most of the same information, but you do not have to include the recipient's details.

For a supply of more than R5,000, a full tax invoice must contain: the words "Tax Invoice", "VAT Invoice" or "Invoice"; the supplier's name, address and VAT registration number; the recipient's name, address and, where they are registered, their VAT registration number; a serial number and the date of issue; and a description of the goods or services supplied and the quantity or volume. It must also show the value of the supply, the VAT charged, and the total.

In plain words

For any sale over R5,000, your invoice must show: the words "Tax Invoice", your name, address and VAT number, the customer's name and address (and their VAT number if they have one), an invoice number and date, what you sold and how much of it, the price before VAT, the VAT, and the total.

You must issue the document within 21 days of completing the sale or delivering the service.

All the required criteria must be met. SARS checks invoices against these criteria, and if a single one is missing the entire invoice is disallowed.

[YOUR BUSINESS NAME]
[Physical address]
VAT Registration Number: 4XXXXXXXXX
[Phone] | [Email]

TAX INVOICE

Invoice number: INV-0001
Date: [DD Month YYYY]

TO
[Customer name]
[Customer physical address]
[Customer VAT number, if they are a vendor]

-------------------------------------------------------------
Description Qty Unit price Amount
-------------------------------------------------------------
[Goods or services] 1 R 0.00 R 0.00
-------------------------------------------------------------
 Subtotal (excl. VAT) R 0.00
 VAT @ 15% R 0.00
 TOTAL (incl. VAT) R 0.00
-------------------------------------------------------------

[Banking details]
Words in [square brackets] are blanks. Replace them with your own details.

Working with 15%: to add VAT, multiply by 1.15. To find the VAT inside a VAT-inclusive price, multiply by 15/115.

If you sell second-hand goods, the description must say so.

Template 4: receipt

Send this when money arrives. It stops the "did you get my payment?" message.

[YOUR BUSINESS NAME]

RECEIPT

Receipt number: REC-0001
Date received: [DD Month YYYY]
Received from: [Customer name]
Amount received: R 0.00
Method: [EFT / Cash / Card]
For invoice: INV-0001

Balance still owing: R 0.00

Thank you.
Words in [square brackets] are blanks. Replace them with your own details.

Template 5: privacy notice (POPIA)

Put this on your website, or send it as a PDF when a customer asks. It is short on purpose.

PRIVACY NOTICE

[Business name] ("we", "us") respects your privacy. This notice explains
what personal information we collect and what we do with it.

WHO WE ARE
[Business name]
[Physical address]
[Email] | [Phone]
Information Officer: [Your full name]

WHAT WE COLLECT
- Your name
- Your contact details (phone, email, address)
- Details of what you bought or asked about
- Payment information (we do not store card numbers)
[Add or remove lines so this is true for your business]

WHY WE COLLECT IT
- To give you a quote and do the work you asked for
- To send you an invoice and receive payment
- To keep records that SARS requires by law
- To contact you about your order

WHO WE SHARE IT WITH
We do not sell your information. We share it only with:
- Our bank, to receive payment
- Our accountant, if we use one
- SARS or another authority, where the law requires it
[Add any supplier or courier who receives customer details]

HOW LONG WE KEEP IT
We keep records for five years, as tax law requires. After that we
delete them.

MARKETING
We will only send you marketing messages if you agreed to receive them.
You can tell us to stop at any time by replying STOP or emailing us.

YOUR RIGHTS
You may ask us what information we hold about you, ask us to correct it,
or ask us to delete it where the law allows. Contact us using the
details above.

If you are unhappy with how we handled your information, you may
complain to the Information Regulator at inforegulator.org.za.

Last updated: [DD Month YYYY]
Words in [square brackets] are blanks. Replace them with your own details.

Register yourself as the Information Officer at inforegulator.org.za(external link) Official . It is free. See Register: what you actually need.

Template 6: cash book

One spreadsheet. Seven columns. This is your whole accounting system in year one.

Table: Template 6: cash book. Scroll sideways to see all of it.
Date Description Customer or supplier Money in Money out Category Slip?

Categories to use: Sales, Stock, Materials, Fuel, Data and airtime, Tools and equipment, Rent, Bank charges, Advertising, Insurance, Other.

Rules:

Enter every transaction. Every one, including the R38 you spent on cable ties.

Take a photo of every slip the day you get it. Put it in a folder named by month. Tick the "Slip?" column.

Reconcile against your bank statement once a month. If the spreadsheet total and the bank balance disagree, find out why that same day.

If you use turnover tax, your records are lighter. You only track amounts received, dividends declared, and assets or liabilities over R10,000.

Template 7: vehicle logbook

Required by SARS for any travel claim. See Vehicles and your business.

Table: Template 7: vehicle logbook. Scroll sideways to see all of it.
Date Odometer start Odometer end Km Destination Business reason

Record your odometer on 1 March and again on 28 or 29 February so you have total kilometres for the tax year.

Fill it in when you park, not at the end of the month.

Prompts to generate the rest

Terms and conditions

I am a [BUSINESS TYPE] in South Africa. I sell [WHAT] to [WHO].
I am [a sole proprietor / a registered company].
[I sell online / I sell in person / both.]

Write terms and conditions for my business in simple English that a
Grade 8 learner can read.

Cover:
- What I will do and what the customer must do
- Quotes, deposits, and payment terms
- What happens if a customer cancels
- What happens if I have to cancel
- Delivery or completion timing
- Returns, refunds, and faults
- Limits on what I am responsible for
- How disputes get resolved

Make sure it complies with the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008.
Where the Act gives the customer a right I cannot remove, say so in the
document rather than trying to remove it.

[If selling online, add:] I sell online, so also comply with sections 43,
44, and 46 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of
2002, including the seven-day cooling-off right.

After the document, list every clause where you are unsure and where I
should check with a lawyer.
Words in [square brackets] are blanks. Replace them with your own details.

The Consumer Protection Act requires plain language. A document your customer cannot understand can be unenforceable, so do not ask the AI to make it sound legal.

A simple service agreement

I am a [BUSINESS TYPE] in South Africa. I need a short written agreement
for jobs over R[AMOUNT].

Write a one-page agreement in simple English covering:
- Who the parties are
- Exactly what work I will do
- Exactly what is not included
- Price, deposit, and payment dates
- Start date and expected finish date
- What happens if the customer changes the scope
- What happens if the customer does not pay
- Who owns the work when it is done
- How either side can cancel
- Which South African law applies

Use [SQUARE BRACKETS] for anything I fill in per job.
Keep it to one page. Do not use legal words where a plain word works.
Words in [square brackets] are blanks. Replace them with your own details.

Delivery note (only if you deliver physical goods)

Write a simple delivery note template for a South African small business
delivering [WHAT] to customers. Include fields for delivery number, date,
customer details, items and quantities, condition on arrival, and a
signature block for the person receiving the goods. Keep it to one page.
Words in [square brackets] are blanks. Replace them with your own details.

Documents you probably do not need yet

A business plan. Only needed to raise money from a bank or investor.

An employment contract. Only when you hire someone. When you do, get a proper one, because the Basic Conditions of Employment Act is strict and mistakes are expensive.

A non-disclosure agreement. Rarely needed by a small supplier. Most clients who need one will send you theirs.

A shareholders agreement. Only if you have more than one shareholder. If you ever take a partner, get this before you take their money, not after.

A company stamp. It has no legal meaning in South Africa.

Sources for this page

10 sources

  • Information Regulator of South Africa Opens the official website Official source

    What this source supports: Register your information officer here. Free.

  • National Consumer Commission — Consumer Protection in e-Commerce Opens the official website Official source

    What this source supports: the seven working day cooling-off period under ECTA s44, refund within 30 days, and the interaction with CPA s11 and s16.

  • Acts and regulations

    • Value-Added Tax Act 89 of 1991 VAT registration, tax invoices (s20), notional input tax on second-hand goods (s20(8)), cancellation when you stop trading (s24) and VAT on assets kept at cancellation (s8(2)); s24 and s8(2) not opened: see "Closing as a sole proprietor" below
    • Companies Act 71 of 2008 Company registration, directors, annual returns, beneficial ownership
    • Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 Consumer rights, implied warranty of quality (s55, s56), plain language, cancellation (s16, s17)
    • Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 Online selling: disclosure (s43), cooling-off (s44), performance (s46), scope (s42)
    • Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 Data protection, information officer registration (s55), keeping personal information only as long as needed (s14; not opened: see "Closing as a sole proprietor" below)

See the full sources register