Do I need an account?

No. There is no registration. Attach the municipal PDFs, see what is flagged, and pay only if you want the report and the draft notice.

Where do my municipal bills go?

They are read in this browser on your device. TariffGuard does not upload the PDF to its own server, and it is not sent to an AI company to be read.

The check is free. The 12-month residential report is R399. The 36-month residential report is R999. Commercial and body-corporate files are a separate 36-month plan. You pay by card or Instant EFT with PayFast.

Is this legal advice?

No. TariffGuard is not a law firm, an auditor or a municipal agent. The notice is a draft with blanks for your details. You remain responsible for what you send.

What if my council is not marked validated?

National rules (VAT on separately itemised property rates, interest on amounts that were never due, duplicates) still run where we can read a bill. Partial packs cover some services only. We do not sell a paid report where we can only read the letterhead.

Municipal account check

We check municipal bills for charges that should not be there.

Attach the municipal PDFs. See what we flag. Pay only if you want the notice.

Upload up to three years of accounts. TariffGuard identifies the municipality from the letterhead. Where a tariff pack is validated, it compares rates, steps and VAT rules to that council’s published book. National rules (VAT on property rates, interest on amounts that were never due, duplicates) run everywhere we can read a bill. If something looks wrong, you get a schedule of items to investigate, a formal dispute notice to edit, and a draft email. A spike in use is not treated as a refund due.

Check the files

Attach the original tax invoice PDFs as e-mailed or downloaded from the municipality. Photographs and screenshots are not accepted. We identify the council and list missing months.

Run the review

Where the pack is validated, charges are scored against that council’s published tariff book. National rules (VAT on rates, interest, duplicates) still run on a partial or beta pack. Unsupported councils are identified but not sold a report.

Pay for the report

The review shows categories and an indicative range. Line-by-line rands, the review schedule and the formal notice stay locked until the fee is paid.

Send the notice

A Section 102 letter with blanks for your name and contact details, plus a covering e-mail to the municipal dispute desk, ready to complete, print and lodge.

Tariff packs

What we actually check

Validated means the pack has been tested against that council’s book for the services listed. Partial means some services only. Beta means national rules (VAT on rates, interest, duplicates) until the book is tested. We do not sell a paid report where we can only read the letterhead.

Nelson Mandela BayValidatedRates, refuse, VAT, interest and the consolidated-statement layout.
City of Cape TownValidatedRates, stepped water, sanitation cap, VAT on rates, Home User electricity.
KougaValidated2026/27 residential rates, refuse, basic charges. Newsletter pages are skipped.
City of JohannesburgResidential water and rates supportedTariff arithmetic is on file. Statement layout is not yet mapped — confirm the annexure before you lodge.
City of TshwaneResidential water and rates supportedTariff arithmetic is on file. Statement layout is not yet mapped.
eThekwiniResidential water and rates supportedTariff arithmetic is on file. Statement layout is not yet mapped.
Buffalo CityBetaLetterhead is identified. National rules only (VAT on rates, prescription, estimated streaks). No Buffalo City tariff arithmetic until the pack is validated.

Questions

Before you attach a file

Do I need an account?: No. There is no registration. Attach the municipal PDFs, see what is flagged, and pay only if you want the report and the draft notice.
Where do my municipal bills go?: They are read in this browser on your device. TariffGuard does not upload the PDF to its own server, and it is not sent to an AI company to be read.
What does it cost?: The check is free. The 12-month residential report is R399. The 36-month residential report is R999. Commercial and body-corporate files are a separate 36-month plan. You pay by card or Instant EFT with PayFast.
Is this legal advice?: No. TariffGuard is not a law firm, an auditor or a municipal agent. The notice is a draft with blanks for your details. You remain responsible for what you send.
What if my council is not marked validated?: National rules (VAT on separately itemised property rates, interest on amounts that were never due, duplicates) still run where we can read a bill. Partial packs cover some services only. We do not sell a paid report where we can only read the letterhead.

Sample file

Worked example · fictional commercial file

A 36-month illustration for a Nelson Mandela Bay-type commercial account. The notice total is VAT incorrectly added to separately itemised property rates, plus interest rebuilt month-by-month on that VAT — only while the file shows arrears or an interest levy, and never more than interest actually billed. Water and sanitation spikes are listed for investigation and are not added to that total. Possible prescription is flagged for confirmation — the PDF shows dates, not summons or interruption. Names, account numbers, erven and amounts are invented. They are not anyone’s live municipal file.