Accountant for tourism, travel & guesthouses in South Africa Full bookings, clean books.
Guesthouses, lodges, tour operators, travel agencies and activity businesses. As tourism accountants, we keep the books, the VAT and the tax in order through the peaks and the quiet months, so you can spend your time on your guests.
How we help tourism and travel businesses
Tourism income is seasonal, often in foreign currency, and often paid before the guest arrives. We keep the books clean, show you where the money is really made, and keep SARS and the CIPC satisfied.
Everyday finance
- Bookkeeping & management accounts
- Travel agency accounting: commissions, supplier payments and client deposits
- Booking-platform and foreign-currency reconciliation
- Payroll: PAYE, UIF and SDL for seasonal staff
Seasonality & cash
- Occupancy, rate and margin reporting
- Cashflow forecasting through peak and quiet months
- VAT201 returns and VAT on tourist supplies
- TOMSA tourism levy administration, where it applies
Tax & growth
- Provisional and income tax
- Capital allowances on furniture, vehicles and equipment
- Staff accommodation and other fringe benefits
- Multi-property structuring and Virtual FD as you grow
Buying a lodge, selling a tour company or raising capital to expand?
Buying or selling a property or tour business, bringing in an investor, or raising capital for a new site 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 a guesthouse or tour operator account for deposits and prepayments?
Guests often pay before they arrive, so deposits and prepayments need to be tracked separately from what has actually been earned. See our guide to tourism deposits, VAT and the tourism levy.
What is the TOMSA tourism levy?
TOMSA is the Tourism Marketing South Africa levy. TBL Accounting handles TOMSA levy administration where it applies to your business.
How do you handle foreign-currency bookings and VAT on tourist supplies?
We reconcile booking-platform and foreign-currency payments to the bank and prepare VAT201 returns that deal correctly with VAT on tourist supplies.
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Talk to an accountant who knows tourism.
Tell us about your guesthouse, lodge, tour or travel business and a named, qualified accountant will look at your seasonality, VAT and cash, with no queue and no junior.
- 1You tell us where things stand.
- 2A named accountant tells you what they would look at first.
- 3You decide what happens next.