Awarding Criteria

To be awarded the Tax Technician Practitioner designation, applicants must meet the following three core requirements:

Applicants must have successfully completed a SAQA registered National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 5 qualification in taxation, accounting, bookkeeping, or a comparable field in financial services.

Accepted qualification titles at NQF Level 5 include:

• Certificate in Accounting
• Diploma in Accounting Technician
• Higher Certificate in Accounting / Accountancy / Accounting Science
• Higher Certificate in Accounting Practice
• Higher Certificate in Business Administration
• Higher Certificate in Tax Administration

Applicants must have engaged in tax work as their sole or primary activity for at least five (5) consecutive years within the past seven (7) years.

Evidence must be provided in the form of a resume or portfolio of tax work, verified by an employer or senior tax professional.

Applicants must provide:

• Verified proof of prior tax work experience
• Proof of an NQF Level 5 qualification (including completion of assessments)
• Proof of a clear tax record
• Proof of a clear criminal record
• Completion of a SAIT entry assessment

In accordance with the SARS-recognised criteria for Recognised Controlling Bodies (RCBs) and tax practitioners, completion of the SARS Readiness Programme is compulsory for individuals who wish to register as tax practitioners.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Statement

Alternative pathways are provided for candidates who do not meet the standard academic requirements, through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Candidates holding only an NQF Level 4 qualification (National Certificate) may still be awarded the designation via RPL if they meet the following:

• Minimum of 10 years of verifiable tax experience
• Completion of a logbook (portfolio of evidence)
• Completion of the standard RPL assessment

Candidates who have completed the Tax Technician Occupational Qualification, which includes 3 years of structured, monitored workplace experience (learnership/internship), may use this experience to meet the 5-year work requirement. This pathway includes:

• Completion of a verified logbook
• Exemption from the SAIT entry assessment, as the qualification includes an External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA)

Candidates with an NQF Level 6 qualification, including two dedicated tax modules, may qualify through RPL due to the advanced content and complexity of the qualification. These candidates:

• Are exempt from the SAIT entry assessment

Candidates with a formal NQF Level 7 qualification (which includes two tax modules) are generally directed towards the General Tax Practitioner designation. However, they may opt to:

• Apply for the Tax Technician Practitioner designation with 3 years of unstructured tax experience
• Be upgraded to General Tax Practitioner status after completing 2 additional years of experience
• Be exempt from the SAIT entry assessment due to the level of their qualification

Retaining the Designation

To maintain the designation, members must meet the following requirements annually:

Members must adhere to the SAIT Professional Code of Conduct and Ethics.

Members must complete a total of 30 hours of CPD annually, in line with SARS and SAIT requirements:

• 18 verifiable hours, consisting of:
  • 10 hours: Tax-related CPD
  • 6 hours: Profession-related CPD
  • 2 hours: Ethics CPD
• 12 non-verifiable hours of relevant learning

All members must ensure that their annual membership fees are paid.