It is compulsory to register for VAT once your turnover has breached R1m in any 12 month consecutive period. You can voluntarily register for VAT but only if you have sales of more than R50,000.  For the voluntary VAT registration, a minimum of three invoices which total more than R50,000  are required and these amounts must be reflected in your business bank account.

No!  That is fraudulent as VAT is collected behalf of the government and needs to be paid over to SARS.

It is not a good idea to not register for VAT once your turnover breaches the R1 million per annum threshold as there are stiff penalties which will be levied.  These include the following:  a 10% penalty of the amount of the VAT not paid as well as interest at the prescribed rate on the amount of VAT not paid and that just for starters.

Currently VAT is levied at 15% of the good and services supplied by the VAT vendor.  

The Public Officer for a company is the person who is responsible for all matters relating to SARS and the company’s representative for SARS.  In May 2021, SARS introduced tighter measures for companies interacting with SARS and will no longer process any SARS services for companies with no Public Officer appointed. 

SARS is the South Revenue Service commonly known as the taxman, is out tax collection authority.  It is a government agency which is responsible for administrating the country’s  tax collection and administration. 

No, Your Tax number is your income tax registration number and different from a VAT registration number which needs to be applied for.

Your supplier is misunderstanding how VAT works.  They can claim the VAT back from SARS if you are VAT registered.  However, you would need to add VAT to current prices thereby increases them 15%.  So your supplier is getting the same price without the hassle of claiming the VAT back.  They are effectively seeing your price and wanting a 15% discount.