Accountant for EdTech & online learning in South Africa Recurring revenue, counted properly.
Course creators, online schools, tutoring platforms and learning apps. As accountants for edtech businesses, we keep the books, the VAT and the tax right for subscription and cohort income, and give you the numbers partners and investors trust.
How we help edtech and online learning providers
Learning businesses are paid up front and deliver over time. We keep revenue in the right period, VAT on the right footing and payouts matched to the bank.
Everyday finance
- Bookkeeping & management accounts
- Subscription and deferred-revenue accounting
- App-store and payment-gateway payout reconciliation
- Payroll: PAYE, UIF and SDL for staff and facilitators
Revenue & VAT
- VAT on education: does the section 12(h) exemption apply to you?
- Refunds, chargebacks and credit notes
- Profit by course, cohort and channel
- Learner deposits and prepayments
Tax & growth
- Section 11D R&D incentive for qualifying software
- Learnership allowance for registered learnerships
- Provisional and income tax
- Investor-ready reporting and Virtual FD as you grow
Raising capital, selling your platform or buying a competitor?
Buying, selling, merging or raising capital is a transaction, and it sits with our corporate finance colleagues at Caban Corporate Advisors. One group, seamless handover.
Go to CabanFrequently asked questions
Short, plain answers to what South African business owners ask us most.
How should an online course or subscription business account for revenue?
Learning businesses are paid up front and deliver over time, so income from subscriptions, cohorts and prepaid courses has to be recognised in the right period. TBL Accounting runs subscription and deferred-revenue accounting and reconciles app-store and payment-gateway payouts to the bank.
Is VAT charged on online education?
It depends on the type of provider and the education supplied. Section 12(h) of the VAT Act exempts certain educational services, but only where the supplier qualifies. We review whether the exemption applies to your business.
Can an edtech business claim the R&D tax incentive?
Software that qualifies as R&D can attract the Section 11D incentive, a 150% deduction subject to pre-approval. See our R&D tax incentive page.
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Talk to an accountant who knows online learning.
Tell us how you sell your courses and a named, qualified accountant will look at your revenue recognition, VAT and cash, with no queue and no junior.
