Accountants for private schools, pre-schools and colleges in South Africa, at 1% of business turnover
You opened a school to teach, not to chase school fees or SARS deadlines. One Percent Accounting keeps the books for independent schools, pre-schools, aftercare centres, tutoring centres and private colleges across South Africa: school fee billing, bookkeeping, SARS VAT, PBO and Section 18A returns, payroll and annual financial statements, all on Xero, for one monthly fee of 1% of your school's business turnover.
School Accounting, Bookkeeping and Tax in one monthly fee
- School fee invoices and statements to parents from Xero, with payments matched and an arrears list every month
- Bank feeds, supplier bills, stationery, transport and building costs captured and reconciled on Xero
- SARS VAT: the 2026 VAT exit for schools registered under the Schools Act, and VAT201 returns for tutoring and training businesses that pass the R2.3 million VAT threshold
- SARS provisional and income tax for a Pty Ltd school, or the IT12EI return for a non-profit school with PBO approval
- Section 18A receipts for donors and the twice-yearly SARS IT3(d) submissions
- Payroll for teachers, assistants and support staff, with SARS PAYE, UIF and SDL (EMP201 and EMP501), for up to 10 employees
- Annual financial statements for your owners or governing body, the provincial education department and SARS, plus CIPC annual returns where the school is a company
How we take over your school's Accounting
Book a free online meeting
A 30-minute video call about your school, your current accountant and what you need from us.
We move your books to Xero
We connect your bank feeds, import opening balances and load each family's school fees as repeating invoices.
Monthly reports, SARS handled
Each month you get a clear income and arrears report, and your SARS PAYE, VAT and PBO returns are submitted on time.
What a month of Accounting looks like for your school
Your school runs as usual. Behind the scenes, this is what we do for you every month.
- School fee invoices and statements issued to parents from Xero
- Bank and card feeds reconciled in Xero
- Parents' payments matched and the arrears list updated
- Supplier bills, stationery, transport and catering costs captured
- Payroll run and the SARS EMP201 submitted by the 7th
- SARS VAT201 submitted, if your business charges VAT
- Monthly income, expense and arrears report sent to you
What an accountant for your school costs
One fee of 1% of your school's monthly business turnover covers everything on this page, with a minimum of R79 a month excl. VAT. A school with R400 000 monthly business turnover pays R4 000 a month excl. VAT, and a quieter month costs less. Payroll for up to 10 staff is included, and each extra employee is billed separately. There are no hourly bills for questions. See the full fee breakdown.
Accountants for schools in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban
One Percent Accounting works fully online, so the service is the same wherever your school is: Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban or a smaller town. Your transactions come in through Xero bank feeds, your documents by email or upload, and meetings happen by video, so nobody has to leave the classroom.
Accountants for independent schools, pre-schools and colleges
The same monthly service fits independent and private schools, pre-schools and nursery schools, early childhood development (ECD) centres and crèches, aftercare centres, tutoring and extra-lesson centres, private colleges and skills training providers, and music, dance, swimming and driving schools.
Opening a new school or centre? We sort out your company, SARS and PAYE registrations and set up Xero in the first month.
School Accounting questions
How much does an accountant for a school cost in South Africa?
With One Percent Accounting you pay 1% of your school's monthly business turnover, minimum R79 a month excl. VAT. That covers bookkeeping, school fee billing, SARS returns, payroll for up to 10 staff and annual financial statements.
Do private schools have to charge VAT?
No. From 1 January 2026 the goods and services supplied by a school registered under the South African Schools Act, including uniforms and hall hire, are exempt from VAT. Schools that were VAT registered must deregister, and any exit VAT can be paid over 12 monthly instalments from 1 January 2027. If your school has not deregistered yet, speak to us now.
Is a pre-school or crèche exempt from VAT?
Childcare by a crèche or after-school care centre is exempt from VAT. If you also sell other things, such as extra classes or uniforms, we check whether those sales are taxable and whether you need to register with SARS.
Should my school be a Pty Ltd or a non-profit company?
A Pty Ltd school pays company tax on its profit and can pay dividends to its owners. A non-profit company can apply to SARS for PBO approval, which exempts its income from tax within SARS's trading rules and can let donors claim Section 18A deductions, but profits stay in the school. Provincial subsidies for independent schools also require registration as a non-profit organisation. We work out the tax on each option before you decide.
What is the SARS IT3(d) return for Section 18A receipts?
If your school is approved to issue Section 18A receipts to donors, SARS needs the details twice a year: by 31 October for March to August, and by 31 May for the full tax year. A null return is due even if you issued no receipts. We prepare and submit both.
Can you handle school fee billing and arrears?
Yes. We set up repeating school fee invoices for each family in Xero, match parents' payments every month and send you an arrears list, so your school can follow up early.
Can you take over from our current accountant or bursar?
Yes. We request your records, move your books to Xero and handle the handover, usually within the first month.