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Beam Machine Invoicing, Banking, and Tax

Detailed SOPs for invoice creation, statements and aging, bank statement import, reconciliation, and VAT return generation.

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Controlling Invoices, Bank Activity, and VAT

This page shows finance users how to create billing documents, import and reconcile bank data, and generate VAT returns from the live Beam Machine workflow.

Product: Beam Machine
Module: Invoicing, Banking, and Tax
Role: Bookkeeper, Accountant, Finance Lead, Tax User
Difficulty: Intermediate
Time: 15 minutes first read, 5 minutes repeat
Last Updated: 2026-03-10
Version: Current Beam Machine app build in this repo

Before You Start

  • You need the correct entity, dates, and customer or supplier records.
  • You should know whether you are raising an invoice, importing a statement, reconciling a bank, or preparing VAT.
  • Do not start VAT work until the underlying books are clean enough to support it.

What is invoicing, banking, and tax work?

This is the part of Beam Machine that handles money going out, money coming in, bank-control activity, and tax preparation. On paper, this would be your invoice book, supplier bill file, bank statement pack, reconciliation workbook, and VAT return file.

In Beam Machine, that work sits across Invoicing, Banking, and Tax.

When do you use this?

Use this page when you need to raise a billing document, explain aged balances, load bank data, match cash movement to the books, or prepare a VAT201 return.

If the accounting records are not credible first, the VAT or banking result is usually a faster way to produce a cleaner-looking error.

Where do you find this work?

Primary path: Use Invoicing, Banking, and Tax in the left sidebar.
Reference: Use 98-screen-map.md for the full route map.

How to run the workflow safely

Main screens

Screen Route What it does
Invoicing /dashboard/invoicing Invoices, bills, credit notes
New Invoice /dashboard/invoicing/new Create invoice, bill, or credit note
Statements and Aging /dashboard/invoicing/statements Receivables, payables, statements
Banking /dashboard/banking Bank account control and actions
Import Statement /dashboard/banking/import Upload CSV or OFX/QFX statement data
Reconciliation /dashboard/banking/reconciliation Match bank transactions to ledger lines
Bank Rules /dashboard/banking/rules Reusable matching or classification logic
Tax /dashboard/tax Tax workspace entry point
VAT Returns /dashboard/tax/vat-returns Generate VAT201 returns
VAT Periods /dashboard/tax/vat-periods Period control
Provisional Tax /dashboard/tax/provisional IRP6 workflow
ITR14 / EMP201 /dashboard/tax/itr14-prep Corporate and employer preparation

Create an invoice, bill, or credit note

  1. Open Invoicing > New Invoice.
  2. Choose the correct document type: Invoice, Bill, or Credit Note.
  3. Select the contact.
  4. Confirm the issue date and due date.
  5. Add one or more line items with clear descriptions.
  6. Confirm quantity, unit price, and VAT treatment for each line.
  7. Save the document and return to the main list.

✅ Checkpoint: The document should appear in the correct list and be traceable later in statements, aging, or approvals.

Review statements and aging

  1. Open Invoicing > Statements & Aging.
  2. Review who owes you and who you owe.
  3. Check how old the balances are.
  4. Fix source invoice or bill problems before you use aging as the final truth.

✅ Checkpoint: Aging should explain balances, not hide sloppy document discipline.

Import a bank statement

  1. Open Banking > Import Statement.
  2. Confirm the bank account first.
  3. Confirm the file belongs to that exact account.
  4. Select the file format.
  5. Upload the file or paste the CSV content.
  6. Run the import.

✅ Checkpoint: Imported transactions should now be visible, but import is not the same thing as reconciliation.

Reconcile the bank

  1. Open Banking > Reconciliation.
  2. Review unmatched transactions first.
  3. Confirm the description, date, and amount.
  4. Match each transaction to the correct ledger entry.
  5. Review reconciliation history for the period.
  6. Do not sign off differences you do not understand.

✅ Checkpoint: The unmatched count should fall for explainable reasons, not because users guessed.

Generate VAT201

  1. Confirm the correct VAT period exists.
  2. Open Tax > VAT Returns.
  3. Select the VAT period.
  4. Click Generate VAT201.
  5. Review the return status and SARS reference if present.
  6. Open the generated return.
  7. Review all 12 boxes before anyone treats it as filing-ready.

VAT201 boxes exposed in the UI

  • standard rate supplies
  • zero-rated supplies
  • exempt supplies
  • total supplies
  • standard rate acquisitions
  • capital goods acquired
  • other input deductions
  • total inputs
  • output VAT
  • input VAT
  • adjustments
  • VAT payable or refundable

Stay honest about tax scope

  1. Use the live tax UI for current procedures.
  2. Do not document the larger South African tax roadmap as if it is already on-screen.
  3. Use 99-functionality-gap-map.md when users ask for features described in source docs but not visible in the build.
  4. Use tax-guides/00-tax-guide-index.md when you need one manual per tax route instead of this broader workflow page.
  5. Use the deeper tax-reference pages when the question is about South African tax interpretation rather than route clicks:

Common Questions & Issues

"The invoice exists, but the aging still looks wrong"

Why this happens: Aging reflects source document quality. A wrong contact, date, status, or amount can distort the view.

Fix: Correct the underlying invoice, bill, or credit note first.

"The bank statement imported, so reconciliation must be finished"

Why this happens: Import feels like completion, but it only loads the raw bank data.

Fix: Open Reconciliation and match transactions properly before you treat the bank as controlled.

"The VAT return generated, so it is ready for filing"

Why this happens: Users confuse generation with review.

Fix: Review the period, ledger support, and all 12 VAT201 boxes before filing.

"The source docs mention much broader tax automation than I can see"

Why this happens: The tax source material covers a larger scope than the currently visible UI.

Fix: Use the live tax workflow for current procedures and keep the broader roadmap in 99-functionality-gap-map.md.

What's Next

Related Pages

SA Compliance Reference

  • VAT-registered South African businesses must prepare and submit VAT201 returns to SARS according to their filing periods.
  • Accurate invoicing, bank reconciliation, and ledger data support VAT, income-tax, and employer-tax preparation.
  • Use the live Beam Machine tax UI for current process guidance and confirm wider legislative or filing obligations in your firm’s tax process.

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