Current fees
Charges and receipts for the current month or term.
Financial control for schools, preschools and education providers
A school manages money on behalf of learners, parents, employees and its governing structure. Fee billing, exemptions or bursaries, fundraising, payroll, procurement and restricted funds must be recorded consistently so that management and governors can see whether resources are being used as approved.
Orion Moon supports independent schools, preschools, education centres and school structures with bookkeeping, payroll, tax administration and management reporting. Public-school requirements, provincial directives and governing-body responsibilities must be applied according to the school’s legal status.
School-fee billing and learner accounts
Load approved annual fees, registration charges, aftercare, transport, boarding or activity charges.
Apply discounts, bursaries, exemptions and sibling arrangements only after approval.
Allocate EFT, debit-order, card and cash receipts to the correct learner account.
Separate deposits and advance payments from earned fee income.
Record credit notes, withdrawals, refunds and bad debts with authorisation.
Issue parent statements and maintain an age analysis of outstanding balances.
Fee collection and debtor management
Debtor reports should distinguish current accounts from genuine arrears and identify matters affected by payment plans, exemptions, disputes or learner departures.
Payment plans
Agreed instalments, due dates and missed commitments.
Bursaries
Approved funding, conditions and balance applied to the learner account.
Exemptions
Approved adjustments recorded separately from ordinary discounts.
Withdrawals
Notice periods, final charges, deposits and refunds reconciled.
Arrears
Age, collection status and authorised follow-up action.
Annual budget and fee-setting support
The budget should translate enrolment assumptions into staff, classroom and facility costs before fees are approved.
Expected learner numbers by grade, class or programme.
Fee income after realistic bursary, exemption and collection assumptions.
Teacher and support-staff remuneration and planned increases.
Books, technology, transport, security, utilities and maintenance.
Capital projects, equipment replacement and finance commitments.
Contingency for enrolment changes and unexpected repairs.
Restricted funds, donations and fundraising
Money received for a stated purpose should not disappear into general operating income. Maintain separate tracking for donations, projects, tours, sports, building funds and other designated activities.
Record donor or parent purpose and any conditions.
Track income and expenditure by fund, event or project.
Retain approvals, invoices and proof of payment.
Report unused balances and commitments to the governing structure.
Assess tax-receipt or PBO implications before issuing donor documentation.
Procurement and payment controls
Approved supplier setup and independent verification of bank-detail changes.
Quotation or tender requirements aligned to school policy.
Purchase order, delivery and invoice matching.
Separation between requesting, approving and releasing payments.
Conflict-of-interest declarations for related suppliers.
Asset tagging and handover records for equipment.
Payroll for educators and support staff
School payroll may include educators, assistants, administrators, drivers, coaches, cleaners and temporary staff with different calendars and remuneration structures.
Contracts, job descriptions, start dates and school or cost-centre allocation.
Monthly salaries, hourly work, overtime, stipends and additional duties.
Leave, unpaid absence and term-time arrangements.
Pension, medical aid, loans and authorised deductions.
PAYE, UIF and SDL calculations and EMP201 declarations.
EMP501 reconciliations and IRP5/IT3(a) certificates.
HR administration in a school environment
Onboarding, qualifications, vetting and policy acknowledgements.
Probation and performance-review schedules.
Leave, attendance and substitute-staff records.
Confidentiality, safeguarding and acceptable-use policies.
Disciplinary and grievance documentation.
Termination, final payroll and return-of-property controls.
VAT changes affecting schools from 2026
SARS guidance states that, from 1 January 2026, supplies made by a school are generally exempt from VAT, subject to the specific welfare-organisation exception. Schools that were VAT vendors are not automatically deregistered and must follow the SARS deregistration process.
Stop treating post-1 January 2026 school supplies as ordinary taxable supplies, subject to specific advice.
Review invoices and receipts that incorrectly charged VAT after the effective date.
Apply for VAT deregistration where required rather than assuming cancellation is automatic.
Assess output adjustments and transitional instalments for assets or stock.
Retain prior VAT records and reconcile final VAT201 returns.
Tax status and annual returns
A school’s income-tax position depends on its legal form and SARS approvals. Non-profit status does not automatically mean tax exemption.
Review company, trust, association or public-school status.
Maintain CIPC, governing-body and SARS representative details.
Prepare annual income-tax or exemption-related information where applicable.
Separate trading, fundraising, donations and restricted income.
Maintain supporting documents for SARS verification.
POPIA and learner financial information
Schools process personal information about children, parents and employees. Financial systems should collect only what is necessary and protect learner accounts, banking data, payroll and bursary information.
Role-based access to learner and payroll systems.
Secure parent statements and employee payslips.
Controlled exports to accountants, auditors and service providers.
Confidential handling of bursary, exemption and salary information.
Prompt removal of access when staff or contractors leave.
Year-end financial statements and audit preparation
Reconcile bank, investments, fees, payroll, suppliers and fixed assets.
Confirm learner debtors, deposits, bursaries and bad-debt approvals.
Prepare schedules for restricted funds and capital projects.
Retain governing-body or board approvals and procurement records.
Prepare an audit or independent-review file according to the school’s requirements.
Monthly school management report
Actual results compared with budget and prior year.
Learner numbers, fee billing, collections and arrears.
Payroll and staffing costs as a percentage of income.
Restricted funds, fundraising and project balances.
Cash-flow forecast and upcoming supplier commitments.
Tax, payroll and governance deadlines.
How Orion Moon supports schools
We can review fee billing, bank reconciliations, payroll, budgets, procurement and reporting and then establish a monthly finance cycle. The service may include bookkeeping, learner-account reconciliation, payroll, management accounts, tax administration, VAT-transition support and year-end schedules.
Frequently asked questions
Can Orion Moon decide whether a parent qualifies for a fee exemption?
No. The school must apply the legislation and approved policy. We can record approved decisions and report their financial effect.
Are all schools automatically income-tax exempt?
No. Income-tax treatment depends on the school’s legal status, activities and any SARS approval.
Must a school deregister for VAT in 2026?
SARS states that VAT cancellation is not automatic. Affected schools must follow the prescribed deregistration process.
Can school-fee software replace accounting?
No. It manages learner billing, while accounting also covers bank, payroll, suppliers, assets, funds, tax and overall financial reporting.
Public, independent and non-profit schools can have different legal, governance and reporting requirements. This page provides general financial guidance.