Delivery note format for South Africa
Fill in a delivery note and print it, free, no signup. It proves delivery. For a sale you also need a VAT tax invoice.
Fill in the delivery note, then print it or Print → "Save as PDF". Nothing you type is stored or sent. A delivery note shows quantities. It is not a tax invoice.
DELIVERY NOTE
South Africa · proof of delivery, not a tax invoice
| Description of goods | Code | Qty | Unit | Remarks |
|---|
Dispatched by
Signature
Received by
Name and signature
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Delivery notes and invoices, from one record.
- Numbers run in order by themselves.
- Customers and items are saved, so you pick them instead of typing.
- Stock goes down when goods leave, with no second entry.
Delivery note and VAT invoice in South Africa
- A delivery note proves that goods arrived. It is not a VAT invoice.
- A VAT vendor must issue a tax invoice within 21 days of the supply (VAT Act, section 20).
- A full tax invoice is needed when the price is more than R5,000. At R5,000 or less, an abridged tax invoice is allowed.
- SARS says records are kept for 5 years, counted from the date the return is submitted (Tax Administration Act).
Source: South African Revenue Service (SARS) tax invoices page and record-keeping page, read 31 October 2026. Neither mentions delivery notes. Value-Added Tax Act 89 of 1991, section 20. General guidance, not tax advice.
Need the same paper for India? See the delivery challan format. For a sale, make a GST invoice.
Questions, answered.
Is a delivery note a tax invoice in South Africa?
No. A delivery note proves that goods arrived. A VAT vendor must still issue a tax invoice within 21 days of the supply.
What must a VAT tax invoice show?
The words "Tax Invoice", the supplier's name, address and VAT number, the date, a unique number, a description of the goods, the VAT rate and amount, and the total. A full tax invoice is needed when the price is more than R5,000, and it also shows the purchaser's name, address and VAT number if the purchaser is a vendor. At R5,000 or less an abridged invoice is allowed.
How long must I keep these records?
SARS says records are kept for 5 years, counted from the date the return is submitted (Tax Administration Act). Ask your accountant which records apply to you.
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