Your May–June VAT Period Is Closed — Time to Submit

Quick answer

Once a VAT period closes, generate the VAT report, check invoices and bank reconciliations for errors, then submit VAT201 early—ideally mid-week before the Friday deadline.

The May–June VAT period closed on 30 June. You now have 26 days to review your figures and submit your return before the 31 July eFiling deadline.

Letitia Hawley5 July 20264 min read

The May–June VAT period closed on 30 June 2026. The eFiling deadline is Friday, 31 July 2026 — 26 days away.

The period is done. No more invoices can be added. Now it is time to review your figures, fix any errors, and submit your return well before the deadline.

Here is your plan.

Step 1 — Run Your VAT Report

If you have not already done so, generate your VAT report for the period 1 May to 30 June 2026 in your accounting system.

This report gives you three numbers:

Output tax — the VAT you charged your customers on sales.

Input tax — the VAT you paid on business expenses and supplier invoices.

Net amount — what you owe SARS, or what SARS owes you.

Look at these numbers carefully. Do they make sense for a two-month period? Are they broadly in line with previous periods? If anything looks significantly off, investigate before you submit.

Step 2 — Review for Common Errors

Before submitting, work through these common errors:

Invoices in the wrong period

Check that all invoices captured fall within 1 May to 30 June. An April invoice sitting in May, or a July invoice dated June, will affect your figures and may attract a SARS query.

Missing supplier invoices

You can only claim input VAT on invoices you hold. If a supplier invoice is missing, follow it up now. You cannot claim VAT without a valid tax invoice that includes the supplier's VAT registration number.

Duplicate invoices

A supplier invoice captured twice inflates your input VAT. Run a quick check on your creditors to confirm no duplicates before you submit.

Bank reconciliation

Your bank account should be fully reconciled to 30 June before you submit. Unreconciled transactions often point to missing or incorrectly captured invoices.

Step 3 — Submit by Wednesday, 29 July

The eFiling deadline is Friday, 31 July. Your target is Wednesday, 29 July — two days early.

Why Wednesday?

Every VAT deadline, eFiling follows the same pattern:

Monday–Wednesday: Fast and smooth
Thursday: Getting busier
Friday 2PM onwards: Slowdowns, timeouts, system strain
Friday 4PM: Last-minute chaos

Submit Wednesday. The deadline does not exist for you.

Your submission checklist

✓VAT report generated for 1 May–30 June
✓Bank fully reconciled to 30 June
✓No duplicate invoices
✓All supplier invoices held and valid
✓Log into eFiling
✓Complete and submit VAT201
✓Download proof of submission
✓Save proof in your VAT Records 2026 folder

What Happens If You Miss the 31 July Deadline

Missing the 31 July Deadline Has Consequences

Missing the 31 July deadline results in penalties and interest charged by SARS.

Interest accrues daily on any outstanding VAT — the longer it remains unpaid, the more it costs you.

If you miss the deadline:

Submit your return immediately — do not delay further

Pay the VAT due

Pull your SARS Statement of Account on eFiling — it will show the VAT, penalty and interest outstanding

Pay the full balance using the same payment reference number as your VAT return

Pull a final Statement of Account once paid to confirm your balance is nil

Keep this as proof of full settlement

Need Help Reviewing Your Figures Before Submission?

If you are not confident your May–June figures are correct, or you need help getting your return submitted before the deadline, we are here.

At Accounting Simplified we review your VAT figures, fix errors, and make sure your submission is accurate and on time.

Contact Us Now

Important: This article provides general guidance for South African businesses. Every business situation is unique — consult a qualified accounting professional for advice specific to your circumstances.