✅ VAT-Ready • SARS-Compliant
VAT Accounting Software Built for South African Businesses
Stop wrestling with spreadsheets and last-minute stress every VAT period. ProfitBooks gives you VAT tax invoicing, SARS-ready VAT201 returns, bank reconciliation, and 45+ reports — simple enough for any business owner to use on day one.
✓ Trusted by 10,0000+ businesses • Rated 4.5/5 on Capterra • Works for retailers, traders, consultancies & more
VAT Tax Invoices
VAT201 Returns
Bank Reconciliation
VAT Number on Invoices
Cloud-Based & Mobile-Ready
Built for South Africa
Cloud Accounting Software Designed for South African Small Businesses
Everything a South African business owner needs to manage money — without becoming an accountant.
ProfitBooks is cloud accounting software built for South African businesses — retailers, traders, contractors, consultancies, and growing SMEs. It handles VAT tax invoicing, bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, and SARS-ready VAT reporting in one place, without the complexity of desktop software or the limitations of a spreadsheet.
You don't need an accounting background to use it. If you can read a dashboard, you can run your books on ProfitBooks. Most business owners are up and running in under 30 minutes.
- VAT tax invoices with automatic 15% VAT calculation
- Full bookkeeping — income, expenses, payables & receivables
- Accessible from anywhere — browser, iOS & Android
- Invite your accountant or tax practitioner with read-only access
- Free plan available — no time limit, no credit card
"I used to dread every VAT period — chasing receipts and second-guessing my VAT. After switching to ProfitBooks, I handle it myself in under an hour. The VAT201 figures are ready in one click and I still share access with my accountant at year-end."
VAT Made Simple
File Your VAT Returns Without Spending Hours on It
Your sales and purchases are auto-categorised with the right VAT. Preparing your VAT201 return takes minutes, not a full weekend.
Automatic VAT Tracking — zero manual sorting
Every tax invoice you raise in ProfitBooks captures VAT at 15% automatically, and zero-rated or exempt items are treated correctly. When VAT-return time comes, your VAT201 figures are already worked out — you just review and file on SARS eFiling. No more weekends buried in spreadsheets.
The Right VAT calculated correctly every time
ProfitBooks applies the correct VAT treatment automatically — standard-rated, zero-rated, or exempt — and handles VAT on imports, so your VAT201 adds up. Incorrect VAT is one of the most common reasons businesses get SARS queries, and this removes that risk completely.
- VAT201-ready figures for SARS
- Tax invoices & tax credit notes tracked
- Zero-rated & exempt items handled
- VAT on imports handled
Bank Reconciliation
Match Your Bank Transactions in Minutes — Not Days
Import your bank statement once. ProfitBooks matches entries automatically so your books always reflect reality.
Import Bank Statements — from any South African bank
Download your bank statement as a CSV or Excel file from your bank's net banking portal and import it directly into ProfitBooks. The system matches transactions against your recorded income and expenses automatically. What used to take half a day takes 15 minutes.
Spot Unrecorded Transactions before they become a problem
Bank reconciliation isn't just about ticking boxes — it's how you catch missing entries, double-payments, and expenses you forgot to record. ProfitBooks flags every unmatched transaction so nothing slips through, and your books stay clean for VAT and audits.
- Import CSV/Excel statements from any South African bank
- Auto-match receipts to invoices & payments to bills
- Record deposits, withdrawals & contra entries
- Full audit trail for every matched transaction
Financial Reports
45+ Reports That Tell You Exactly How Your Business Is Doing
Stop guessing whether you're profitable. Get answers in seconds with filterable, export-ready reports.
Balance Sheet, P&L & Cash Flow — always up to date
Your Balance Sheet, Profit & Loss statement, and Cash Flow report update in real time as you record transactions. No waiting for month-end. No asking your accountant what the numbers look like. You know your financial position every single day.
VAT Reports — share directly with your accountant
Every report your accountant or tax practitioner needs — VAT summary, VAT201 working, and sales by tax code — is available at a click. Invite them as a user with read-only access. No more emailing spreadsheets back and forth.
- Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow
- Day Book, Ledger & Transaction reports
- Sales, expense & vendor aging reports
- Audit trail with every entry logged
Affordable & Collaborative
Accounting Software Your Whole Team Can Use — Starting Free
Add your bookkeeper, accountant, and sales team. Everyone works from the same real-time data — no version confusion, no duplicate entry.
Role-Based Access — right data, right people
Give your sales executive access to create invoices without showing them your P&L. Give your bookkeeper entry access without admin rights. Give your accountant or tax practitioner view-only access at VAT time. Every role is configurable — you stay in control.
Affordable Plans for every stage of business
ProfitBooks has a free Startup plan with no time limit — genuinely useful for sole proprietors and early-stage businesses. Paid plans start at $9.95/month and cover everything a growing South African business needs — multiple users, advanced reports, inventory, and priority support. No surprise charges. No per-invoice limits.
- Free plan — no time limit for single users
- Add team members with role-based permissions
- Invite your accountant or tax practitioner as a read-only user
- Friendly in-app chat & email support
"We run a wholesale business with four staff. ProfitBooks lets everyone do their job — my team raises invoices, my manager checks reports, and our accountant logs in each period for the VAT return. No one steps on each other's work. Our books have never been tidier."
Invoicing & Billing
Grow Your Sales With Powerful Invoicing
Create professional estimates and VAT tax invoices, then track every outstanding payment — all in a few clicks.
With ProfitBooks accounting software, you can create professional estimates or invoices and track outstanding payments due in just a few clicks. Send automatic reminders, accept online payments, and bill customers in any currency — all from one place.
- Estimates & Sales Orders
- Automated Email Reminders
- Payment Gateway Integrations
- Multi-user & Multi-currency System
- In-depth Sales Reports
Inventory Management
Track Inventory With Ease
From purchase to sale, manage your entire inventory lifecycle in one place.
Whether you are manufacturing, distributing, selling, servicing, or just managing stock, ProfitBooks can handle all your business processes with ease — across multiple warehouses and in multiple currencies.
- Invoice & Purchase Management
- Sales Order Management
- Manage Multiple Warehouses
- Multi-user & Multi-currency System
- In-depth Inventory Reports
Expenses & Payables
Take Control of Your Business Expenses
Effortlessly track, categorise, and control every rand your business spends.
ProfitBooks helps you efficiently manage both customers and vendors by keeping track of all payables and receivables in one place. Easily monitor outstanding invoices, record payments, and streamline your business relationships for smooth financial operations.
- Track accounts payables & receivables easily
- Get aging reports on outstanding dues
- Generate vendor transaction statements
- Track expenses other than inventory purchase
- Email vendor statement in one click
Customers & Suppliers
Customer & Supplier Management
Manage professional relationships with all your contacts, efficiently.
ProfitBooks simplifies the tracking and categorisation of all your business relationships, providing a clear overview of every customer and supplier. With real-time reporting and insights, you can make informed decisions and build stronger business connections.
- Store complete customer & supplier details with VAT number
- Customer statement in one click
- Record vendor payments & advances
- Track outstanding by contact
- Real-time contact-wise reporting
See It In Action
Watch How ProfitBooks Accounting Works
See VAT tax invoicing, bank reconciliation, SARS-ready VAT returns and team collaboration in a quick walkthrough.
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VAT-Ready from Day One
Automatic 15% VAT on tax invoices, zero-rated items handled, and SARS-ready VAT returns. Your books stay clean and your accountant stays happy.
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Bank Reconciliation Built In
Import your bank statement and ProfitBooks matches transactions automatically. What used to take hours takes 15 minutes — with a full audit trail.
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45+ Reports, Always Live
Balance Sheet, P&L, Cash Flow, VAT summary and aged payables — all update in real time. No waiting for month-end to know how your business is performing.
More Than Billing
VAT Invoicing Is Just The Beginning
ProfitBooks goes beyond billing — it's your complete business accounting solution.
Create VAT Tax Invoices in Minutes
Create and send professional VAT tax invoices with the correct 15% VAT in minutes. Customise templates, track payments and manage your entire sales pipeline from one place.
- Tax Invoices with Automatic 15% VAT
- Estimates, Quotations & Sales Orders
- Invoice Reminders & Customer Portal
- Templates & Customisation
- Sales Reports & Analytics
File Your VAT201 Directly
File your VAT201 return directly from ProfitBooks. Your sales and purchases are auto-categorised with VAT and reconciled, so filing takes minutes instead of hours.
- VAT201 Return Filing
- Purchase & VAT Reconciliation
- Tax Credit Note Tracking
- Zero-Rated & Exempt Handling
- VAT on Imports
Track Every Rand In & Out
Track your entire financial cycle — from purchase to sales — with 45+ filterable reports. Know your outstanding receivables and payables at any time.
- Outstanding Receivables Tracking
- Vendor Payment Management
- Advance Payment Allocation
- Customer Statements in 1-Click
- Customer Portal Access
Complete Inventory Management
Manage your complete inventory lifecycle with ProfitBooks. Track stock across multiple warehouses, record production and wastage, and create purchase orders.
- Purchase Orders with VAT
- Production, Wastage & Stock Transfer
- Multiple Warehouses
- Vendor & Outstanding Management
- In-depth Inventory Reports
Business Accounting on Auto-Pilot
ProfitBooks handles complete financial accounting in the background while you focus on billing. Chart of accounts, journal entries, project tracking and auditor access — all included.
- Chart of Accounts
- Journal Entries
- Invite Your Accountant / Tax Practitioner
- Project-wise Categorisation
45+ Financial & VAT Reports
Get access to comprehensive reports — from Balance Sheet and P&L to detailed VAT reports and audit trails. Make data-driven decisions with insights at your fingertips.
- Balance Sheet, P&L & Cashflow
- VAT Reports
- Sales & Expense Reports
- Ledger, Day Book & Transaction Reports
- Audit Trail & Employee Reports
Complete Suite
All The Ways We Can Help You
ProfitBooks provides a complete VAT-compliant accounting suite for small & medium businesses.
VAT Invoicing
- Estimates & Quotations
- Sales Orders & Delivery Notes
- Automatic 15% VAT Calculation
- Payment Gateway Integrations
Inventory Management
- Record Raw Material Consumption
- Record Production of Finished Goods
- Stock Transfer Within Warehouses
- Record Inventory Wastage
Banking
- Import Bank Statements
- Easy Reconciliation
- Record Deposits & Withdrawals
- Contra Entries
Receipts & Payments
- Record Receipts Against Tax Invoices
- Record Advance Receipts
- Allocation to Invoices
- Record Non-Invoice Income
Customers & Vendors
- Customer Statement In 1-Click
- Store Customer VAT Number & Details
- Record Vendor Payments
- Track Vendor Advances
VAT Compliance
- VAT201 Return Filing
- Zero-Rated & Exempt Items
- Tax Invoices & Credit Notes
- VAT on Imports
Expense Management
- Record Business Expenses
- VAT-Compliant Purchase Bills
- Create Purchase Orders
- Vendor Management
User Management
- Create Multiple Users
- Role-based Access
- Special Role For Sales Team
- Invite Your Accountant or Tax Practitioner
45+ Insightful Reports
- Balance Sheet, P&L, Cashflow
- VAT Reports
- Sales Reports
- Audit Trail
What Customers Say
Trusted by 10,000+ Businesses
From freelancers to growing SMBs — here's what our customers say about ProfitBooks.
★★★★★
"ProfitBooks has completely transformed how I manage my business finances. Creating a VAT tax invoice takes less than a minute and the automatic VAT means I never make errors."
★★★★★
"I used to spend a whole day each period on the VAT return. With ProfitBooks, it's done in 20 minutes. The software categorises everything automatically — I just review and file."
★★★★★
"As a manufacturer, I track inventory across warehouses and manage VAT on everything I sell. ProfitBooks handles it all seamlessly. Best accounting software for South African small businesses."
We're Here For You
Your Success is Our Success!
We understand that we can succeed only when each of our customers is happy and successful. Once you signup, you'll get access to:
- In-app chat support available in 3 languages, 5 days a week
- Complete Support Center with How-To guides
- YouTube channel with demos and tutorials
- Business blog filled with growth articles
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android
Get Complete Accounting
Software for Free
VAT tax invoicing, bank reconciliation, SARS-ready VAT returns and full bookkeeping — all in one place. Built for South African businesses.
Start Free — No Credit Card →Paid plans start from $9.95/month
Start FREE — Here's What You Get
Complete VAT accounting software built for South African small businesses.
- VAT tax invoices with automatic 15% VAT
- Bank reconciliation built in
- VAT201-ready figures for SARS
- 45+ financial & VAT reports
- Invite your accountant or tax practitioner
- iOS & Android mobile apps
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
ProfitBooks is one of the best VAT accounting software options for South African small businesses because it combines VAT tax invoicing, bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, and SARS-ready VAT reporting in a single cloud-based platform. It's simple enough for non-accountants to use from day one, applies the 15% VAT automatically (and handles zero-rated and exempt items), and has a free plan with no time limit — making it accessible at every stage of business growth.
Yes — ProfitBooks is built for South African small businesses including retailers, traders, contractors, consultancies, and growing SMEs. It handles the day-to-day tasks these businesses face: VAT tax invoicing, expense tracking, bank reconciliation, and VAT201 preparation. You don't need to hire a full-time accountant or run clunky desktop software to keep clean books.
Yes. ProfitBooks captures VAT at 15% on your tax invoices and purchases and prepares your VAT201 figures — output VAT on sales and recoverable input VAT on purchases — directly from your data. Zero-rated and exempt items are handled correctly, and VAT on imports is supported, so when it's time to file, the figures are already worked out. You can file through SARS eFiling yourself, or share access with your accountant or tax practitioner.
ProfitBooks has a free Startup plan with no time limit — it includes VAT tax invoicing, basic bookkeeping, expense tracking, and financial reports for a single user. Paid plans start from $9.95 per month and add multiple users, inventory management, advanced reports, and priority support. There are no per-invoice charges and no surprise fees. You can see full pricing at profitbooks.net/pricing.
Traditional desktop accounting software like Sage Pastel is installed on one machine, can be costly, and often has a steep learning curve. ProfitBooks is cloud-based — you access it from any browser or mobile device, anywhere. It applies VAT automatically, includes bank reconciliation and 45+ reports, and is designed for business owners who are not accountants. For South African small businesses that want simplicity, SARS-ready VAT reporting and remote access, ProfitBooks is a practical, affordable choice.
Yes — ProfitBooks is designed specifically for business owners who are not accountants. You don't need to understand double-entry bookkeeping, journal entries, or ledger management. You create tax invoices, record expenses, and import your bank statement — the software handles the VAT and accounting entries automatically in the background. Most users are fully set up and creating invoices within 30 minutes of signing up.
Download your bank statement as a CSV or Excel file from your online banking and upload it into ProfitBooks. The system automatically matches each transaction against your recorded invoices, bills, and expenses. Matched entries are confirmed instantly. Unmatched entries are flagged for your review — so you can catch anything missing before VAT-return time. The whole process typically takes about 15 minutes for a month's transactions.
Yes. ProfitBooks stores your data on secure cloud servers with encryption, automatic backups, and role-based access control. You decide who can see what — your team sees invoices, your accountant sees reports, and sensitive financial data is only visible to admins. Unlike desktop software where your data lives on a single hard drive, cloud storage means your books are safe even if your device is lost or damaged.
Yes — multi-user access is available on paid plans. You can add team members with specific roles: staff can create invoices, your manager can view reports, and your accountant or tax practitioner gets read-only access at VAT time. Everyone works from the same real-time data, so there's no version confusion or duplicate entry. The free Startup plan supports a single user.
Yes. ProfitBooks handles both product and service businesses within the same account. Service businesses — consultancies, contractors and agencies — use it for VAT tax invoicing, expense tracking, and VAT201 preparation. Product businesses — retailers, traders and manufacturers — additionally get inventory management, stock tracking, purchase orders, and production recording. You can even run a mixed business from the same account.
