Finance Intern

Job Overview

Job Description

Purpose of the Role:

The Accounting Intern will be placed within a service delivery team, gaining structured, supervised exposure to the practice's core service lines on behalf of its SME client portfolio: general accounting and bookkeeping, payroll and statutory submissions, UIF administration, COIDA compliance, and CIPC/company secretarial administration.

Key Responsibilities:

General Accounting & Bookkeeping Support
• Assist with the capturing and coding of financial transactions, journal entries, and general ledger postings for client accounts.
• Support monthly bank, supplier, and balance sheet reconciliations under supervision.
• Assist with the preparation of management accounts, working papers and supporting schedules for financial statements (IFRS for SMEs).
• Support accounts payable and accounts receivable processing for client accounts, including invoice verification.
Payroll & Statutory Submissions (PAYE, SDL, UIF)
• Assist with monthly payroll processing for the firm's client portfolio, including capturing new engagements, terminations and salary/wage changes.
• Calculate and process statutory deductions PAYE, UIF and SDL (where applicable) under supervision, in line with current SARS tables and thresholds.
• Prepare monthly EMP201 declarations for review and sign-off by a senior accountant or director and submit via SARS eFiling once approved.
• Assist with the bi-annual EMP501 employer reconciliation and the generation of interim and final IRP5/IT3(a) certificates.
• Maintain accurate payroll records and support client queries on payslips and statutory deductions.
UIF Administration (Ufiling)
• Assist with UIF employer and employee registrations via the Department of Employment and Labour's Ufiling platform.
• Process monthly UIF declarations and contribution submissions for client payrolls.
• Prepare UI-19 forms for employees whose service has terminated, for review and submission, ensuring former employees can access UIF benefits without delay.
• Maintain UIF compliance records and assist with correspondence with the Department of Employment and Labour under supervision.
COIDA Compliance
• Assist with new client registrations with the Compensation Fund under the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA).
• Support the preparation of the annual Return of Earnings (ROE) submission for client entities ahead of the statutory deadline.
• Assist with applications for the Letter of Good Standing and basic claims-related administrative queries, under supervision.
• Maintain a COIDA compliance diary across the client portfolio, flagging upcoming renewal and submission dates.
CIPC & Company Secretarial Support
• Assist with new company and close corporation registrations on the CIPC platform.
• Prepare and submit Annual Returns (AR) for client companies and close corporations, helping clients avoid late-filing penalties and deregistration risk.
• Process director appointments, resignations and name changes, and registered address changes with CIPC.
• Assist with the preparation and submission of Beneficial Ownership (BO) declarations in line with current CIPC requirements.
• Support the preparation of share certificates and the maintenance of statutory shareholding/share registers for client companies.
• Maintain a central CIPC compliance tracker for the client portfolio and follow up on outstanding filings.
Systems, Reporting and Client Support
• Gain working exposure to the firm's accounting, payroll and compliance systems (e.g. Sage, Xero, QuickBooks, SARS eFiling, Easyfile, Ufiling and CIPC eServices).
• Assist with the preparation of Excel-based schedules and basic client reporting packs.
• Support professional, timeous client communication on routine compliance matters, under supervision.
Professional and Team Support
• Participate in scheduled internal training and structured learning sessions provided by the practice's directors and senior accountants.
• Attend and contribute to team meetings and mentorship sessions.
• Carry out general administrative duties supporting the practice as reasonably required.

Minimum Requirements:

Qualifications
• A completed National Diploma or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Financial Accounting, Finance, or a related commerce field.

Experience and Eligibility
• No prior full-time work experience required; prior vacation work, SAICA/SAIPA exposure, or academic projects in a finance environment advantageous.

Skills and Attributes

• Working knowledge of basic accounting principles (debits and credits, reconciliations, the accounting cycle).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel; exposure to accounting, payroll or SARS eFiling systems is advantageous but not essential.
• Strong attention to detail and comfort working with statutory deadlines across multiple clients simultaneously.
• Trustworthy handling of confidential client financial, payroll and personal information (POPIA-conscious).
• Good verbal and written communication skills, and comfort liaising directly with clients on routine matters.
• Eagerness to learn across a broad range of disciplines accounting, payroll, UIF, COIDA and CIPC rather than a single specialism.