Free tools for South African businesses

• VAT registration checkCheck whether your business must register for VAT (over R2 300 000 in 12 months) or may register voluntarily (over R120 000). Free, with the 2026/27 SARS thresholds.
• Turnover tax calculatorWork out turnover tax for a micro business (turnover up to R2 300 000) and compare it with normal income tax. Free, 2026/27 rates.
• PAYE calculatorEstimate PAYE, UIF and take-home pay on a monthly salary with the 2026/27 SARS tax tables. Free.
• Employer registration checkDo you need to register for UIF, COIDA, PAYE or SDL? A free check for employers, domestic workers included.
• CIPC annual return checkWhen is your CIPC annual return due and what does it cost? Fees by turnover for companies and close corporations, on time and late. Free check.
• B-BBEE level checkEME (up to R10 000 000) or QSE (up to R50 000 000)? Your B-BBEE level by black ownership and the proof you need. Free check.
• Provisional tax calculatorAre you a provisional taxpayer? Estimate your August and February payments, and see the penalties for paying late or estimating too low. Free, 2026/27 SARS rates.
• Domestic worker checkDoes the pay meet the minimum wage (R30,23 an hour)? Do you need UIF, COIDA or PAYE? What paperwork and leave apply? A free check for households.
• SARS and CIPC deadline calendarEvery SARS, CIPC and employer deadline for your business for the next 12 months, moved for weekends and public holidays, straight into your phone calendar. Free.
• Free invoice makerMake a free invoice or tax invoice as a PDF on your phone or computer: your details, your client, VAT at 15% when you are registered. Nothing is sent to us.
• Free payslip makerMake a free payslip as a PDF: overtime, UIF, PAYE estimate and a check against the national minimum wage (R30,23 an hour). For domestic workers too.
• Which business structure?Five questions to choose between a sole proprietor, a private company (Pty) Ltd and a non-profit company, with what each costs to start and run and the tax on your profit. Free.
• What does being late cost?What a late tax return, late tax payment, late CIPC annual return or late COIDA return costs, month by month: SARS fixed penalties, the 10% penalty and interest, CIPC late fees. Free.
• Leave and notice calculatorAnnual leave due, sick leave, family responsibility leave, notice period, notice pay, leave pay and severance under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. Free.
• Tender readiness trackerCSD, tax compliance status, B-BBEE affidavit, COIDA letter of good standing and more: tick what you have, add expiry dates and get a reminder before anything runs out. Free.
• Start-up cost estimatorPick your type of business and see the once-off and yearly fees for its registrations, licences and permits, added up for how you trade and whether you employ anyone. Free.
• Hiring cost calculatorType the monthly pay and see what one employee costs you each month and each year: UIF, SDL, COIDA, the PAYE to hold back and what they take home, with the minimum wage check. Free.
• Free quotation and delivery note makerMake a free quotation or delivery note as a PDF, then turn the quotation into an invoice with one click. VAT added when you are registered. Nothing is sent to us.
• What changes as you growType your yearly sales and number of employees and see what applies now and what starts next: VAT at R2 300 000, SDL, employment equity at 50 employees, B-BBEE and audits. Free.
• Tender points calculatorWork out your tender score for price and specific goals under the 80/20 or 90/10 system, and how much dearer than the cheapest bid you can be and still win. Free.
• How long to keep recordsHow long to keep tax, payroll, company and close corporation records under SARS, labour and company law, as a list you can print, and a 10-question POPIA check. Free.
• Company name checkCheck a proposed company name against CIPC's naming rules before you reserve it: restricted words, the right ending, names that are too generic. Free; then search and reserve on BizPortal.
• 60-second compliance quizTen quick questions about SARS, CIPC, employees, POPIA and your premises: see how compliant your South African business is and what to do next. Free.
• Licence and permit finderType your kind of business and see every licence, permit and registration it needs in South Africa: what each is for, the cost, when you need it and the official link. 1 003 business types. Free.
• Liquor licence: where to applyWhich authority issues liquor licences in your province, which licence you need (on-consumption, off-consumption, events, manufacturing or distribution) and the steps. Free.
• CIDB grade calculatorType the value of a public-sector construction contract and see the CIDB grade a contractor needs, with the tender value limit for every grade from 1 to 9. Free.
• COIDA assessment estimatorEstimate your yearly Compensation Fund (COIDA) assessment from your payroll and your rate per R100: earnings count up to R668 000 per employee, with a minimum of R1 621. Free.
• Late-payment interest calculatorWork out the interest a customer owes on an unpaid invoice at the prescribed rate (10,75% from 1 November 2026) or your contract's rate, per day, with the in duplum limit. Free.
• Tender returnables checklistThe forms and proof a government bid usually asks for (SBD or MBD forms, CSD report, tax status, B-BBEE proof, CIDB for construction), as a checklist you can print. Free.
• Employment contract makerMake a contract of employment with the particulars the BCEA asks for: job, hours, pay, leave and notice, checked against the national minimum wage. Saved as a PDF on your device. Free.
• Certificate of service makerMake the certificate of service every employee is entitled to when they leave: dates, job, pay and, if they ask, the reason for leaving. Saved as a PDF on your device. Free.
• UIF benefit estimatorEstimate what UIF may pay if you lose your job or go on maternity leave, from your monthly pay and the days you worked, using the formula in the Unemployment Insurance Act. Free.
• VAT calculatorAdd 15% VAT to a price, or take it out of a VAT-inclusive amount, in one step. Free.
• Company tax calculatorWork out a company's income tax for the year at 27%, or at the lower small business corporation (SBC) rates if it qualifies, with turnover tax to compare. Free.

General guidance only, not legal, tax or compliance advice. Requirements, fees and processes change: confirm each item with the official body before you act. SignalLedger is an independent private platform, not a government website. Checked 19 October 2026. How we check our information.